I’ve been trying to wade through the differences in how we can be faithful to Jesus but also encounter the culture(s) in which God has sent us for a long time now. There is a vast array of differences between teams on how this should be done. But, here are some thoughts that can help us think through these things, in the bigger picture:
1. Shalom will not ultimately be achieved through human means, and is not promised until the new creation.
2. The depth of the effects of sin on shalom will be experienced until the new creation.
3. But, we have been given promises that are for the present. The future we await should empower us in the present. Jesus is building His Church, and we are indwelled by the Spirit to participate in God’s mission to redeem all of creation. Present transformation is substantial, but not total.
I think this framework is very helpful when thinking about how much can actually be done in the present. If we believe that by our efforts we can achieve “another world,” then we will all be continually frustrated. This completely ignores the holistic effects of sin on all of creation. But, if we so stress that truth and ignore the promises given to us in the present, that God’s Kingdom has been and will continue to spread, then we won’t do anything.
Maybe this is too simplistic, but when I hear about pacifism/nonviolence, this is typically where my mind goes. If we truly believed that another world was possible, then we would outlaw prisons and locks on our houses. That is anarchy, and that is not a world I want to live in. Yes, power has been and will continue to be abused. But, we can’t be so naive as to think that allowing bad things to happen to those we love will somehow change the world in the present. Sin is a big deal, and there have to boundaries.
As a moderate pacifist, I view the state as a necessary curb on evil, but I will not take part in its wars. The Church stands between the two ages, and pronounces judgment on the world by the way it live its life ( a new way to be human? or maybe the original way to be human!). We thank God that he has put boundaries on human sinfulness, by His common grace, but we must always be ready to speak out when the state attempts to usurp the place of God (which it always tries to to do).
Yeah, I would probably fall in line with John Stott, where I believe that personal vengeance is out of the question (theoretically - not sure what I would do in a real situation), but that because of sin there has to be room for prisons, locks on our doors, war, etc. It’s inevitable. But, that doesn’t mean those things are inherently “good,” because they only exist because of sin.