A Ramble About Governments

My kids were having a serious discussion about a Star Wars themed RTS game called "Empires at War." They were discussing which side was the best one to play. My son tends to favor the criminal or Imperial sides (not boding well for his future), while my daughter was passionately arguing against the Empire in particular because she believed that they were the true bad guys and wanted nothing more than to dominate and enslave the galaxy, and they betrayed each other and did very bad things. This got me thinking about the Empire. Over the last several years I've gotten to really enjoy fan films, the short movies that are made by fans about their favorite sci-fi or fantasy characters or "universes." One of these fan film series is called I.M.P.S. (Imperial Military Personnel Stories), and has become a family favorite. Told with a sense of humor, it's life from the perspective of a squadron of Imperial Storm Troopers on patrol, and is done in such a way as to humanize them. The Imperial soldiers in these videos don't see themselves as the bad guys, but peacekeepers, law enforcement, and doing what they perceive is the right thing.

One of the things which we Star Wars fans tend to forget, is that the Empire, regardless of its actions or motives, was the legitimate government of that galaxy. It's emperor had been legally and duly elected initially as Chancellor of a republic, and later confirmed as Emperor for life by the Republican Senate. The Emperor and Imperial Senate made the laws, controlled the taxes, kept the peace, and kept order among hundreds of worlds. Regardless of what the Emperor's motives may have been, they weren't the motives of everyone involved in the Imperial government or military. Most of whom probably thought they were doing the right thing.

During the life of St. Paul the Apostle, he lived under the rule of a notorious Empire as well, and through several successive Emperors, each with varying degrees of depravity and sanity or lack thereof. The Emperor ruling at the time St. Paul was executed was Caesar Nero. This is a man who burned a large portion of the city of Rome itself and then blamed it on the Christians who were a misunderstood minority religious group at the time. He rounded up Christians and conceived of new and fresh atrocities with them to amuse himself, such as using them for torches to light his gardens with. The Emperor prior to Nero was Claudius, who, while a capable administrator and governor, was also responsible for many assassinations of other members of the Roman government in order to stay in power. Prior to this was Caligula, a man noted for his sexual deviancy, perversion, atrocity, and insanity. He actually appointed one of his horses as a consul, threw a crowd of spectators to the lions in the arena because he was bored, and committed incest with his sisters and prostituted them to other men. Next to these men, Emperor Palpatine looks like a competent, rational, moderate, devout statesman.

This is what St. Paul had to say about people, including these men, in government:

1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 2 Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same, 4 for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. 5 Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing. 7 Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:1-7, WEB)

Rebellion against the established government may be a traditional American value, but it is not a Christian one. Jesus Christ Himself pointed out the flaws and hypocrisy of the religious leaders, but He pointedly said nothing about the secular governors (except perhaps Herod whom He called a "fox"), and submitted to their ruling, even when it meant His unjust execution. There would have been much He could have said about the Roman Government and it's rulers, but He didn't. Most of His direct rebukes were aimed squarely at those religious leaders who were supposed to know the Truth and teach it to others.

If we are to follow Jesus Christ, then we must follow His example. If we are to look to St. Paul for guidance, then we must accept the guidance he gives. If we are to be American, then we must not do it at the expense of being Christian. Being Christian means that this world is not our home, our nation, or our government. We are told to pray for those in authority over us, and more than this, Jesus told us to pray for those who persecute us and abuse us. Nowhere are we told we don't have to pray for someone we consider to be evil or perverse. These are the people who need more prayer, not less.

Sometimes we may feel as though we have Sith governing us. I thought this too about our former Vice President. I then got a call from my dad asking me to pray for him for his heart transplant. It turns out that he knew him personally from several years ago under another administration, and he considered him and his wife very good, nice people. The Lord used this to force me to rethink things. I prayed for the man I once considered "Darth Cheney." I prayed that his surgery would go well and that he would fully recover. I don't know him, only what I've heard from others, and perhaps that is the point.

I should wonder what St. Paul's response would have been if it had been Palpatine instead of Nero. I doubt it would have been any different.