Is the Church the Justice League?

This week’s MoS Bully Pulpit has Carl, Todd, and me thinking about justice. How can or how should the church best promote the sanctity of life? Well, Todd and I may seem to have a different nuance to the relationship between the church and politics. But I will just paste the Martin Luther quote that he posted on his blog this week to prove my point on the church’s role:  “The Word did it All.”

Take me, for example. I opposed indulgences and all papists, but never by force. I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word: otherwise I did nothing. And then, while I slept or drank Wittenberg beer with my Philip of Amsdorf the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor did such damage to it. I did nothing: the Word did it all. Had I wanted to start trouble.... I could have started such a little game at Worms that even the emperor wouldn't have been safe. But what would it have been? A mug's game. I did nothing: I left it to the Word. - Martin Luther

So as I suspected, we agree more than we disagree. Of course, Christians are both citizens of Christ’s redemptive kingdom, the church, as well as citizens of his civil kingdom of providential rule and justice. And so we are sent out as salt and light to serve our neighbor. It is certainly important for Christians to think about how they can uphold justice for the unborn as fellow citizens and serve their communities in that way. Carl seems to hold to this understanding as well, but refuses to call it a two kingdoms view. Call it what you like, but don't call us radical! Hopefully we didn’t get anyone’s Underoos in a bunch. Take a listen to the short podcast here.