Outrageous Parking Fees and Obama Nation Ambassadors

The abuse of "diplomatic immunity" by United Nations delegates on the streets of Manhattan was big news in the 90's. Things were really getting hot when Mr. Giuliani decided enough is enough, although something of a truce was eventually established. Things haven't changed much in ten years - deadbeat diplomats are still in the news.  I can understand their motivation. Why should they be subjected to the rules and regulations of a country of which they are not citizens?

This is a question not unlike one we face as followers of Jesus. Our ultimate citizenship is not of this earth! Here is the Apostle Paul's summary:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself (Phil 3:20-21).

We don't belong here. Our home country is elsewhere and it makes our current living conditions seem so decidedly inferior. How I long for our homecoming! So we have to ask, "What are we doing on this God forsaking planet?"  Here's Paul's answer:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).

We have been given an assignment, to represent the Kingdom of Heaven on the rebellious planet. Those who break off their hostilities with God and embrace Jesus as their Savior have their citizenship immediately transferred. But, they remain, for a time, in their host countries as delegates. Here's where the issue of parking fines comes in. In a previous post, I made the case for respect for the office of the President, regardless of who occupies it. Now let me add a note about results.

One of the characteristics in our host countries is their highly developed capacity for judicial sentiment. They can accurately identify what is right and wrong when it is applied to someone else. There is abundant evidence of this characteristic in the current criticisms flying between Republicans and Democrats. When you find yourself thinking, "Isn't this a case of the pot calling the skillet black," you are watching judicial sentiment in action. Earthlings can accurately identify a mere speck in someone else's eye even while ignoring a 2 x 4 in their own.

Peter once wrote to citizens of heaven living in a hard place on earth. Here's what he reminded them:

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Pet. 2:12-15).

To be sure, we submit to the laws and leaders of the land because it is God's will. But when we do, there are two additional outcomes: Ill-informed critics are demonstrated as fools for the fact that their criticisms don't stick. Second, lost people observe the kind of behavior which makes God look good and which gives them reason to praise Him when He shows up.

When we show disrespect for the laws and leaders of our host countries, we curtail our ability to represent well our King and His Kingdom. We do not have diplomatic immunity! Our King requires us to make Him look good by showing the citizens of our host country how a model citizen would behave. There's far more at stake here than our like (or dislike) for a President who will occupy an office for a few earthly years. Don't muddy the water with petty parking fine failures when it could hobble someone's ability to share eternity with our King.

Comments

[Jeff]

Ouch, ouch, OUCH!! OK, I give!!

[Austin]

"To be sure, we submit to the laws and leaders of the land because it is God's will. . . . when we do . . . lost people observe the kind of behavior which makes God look good . . . ."

Is it always God's will we submit? What about Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Does submission to our earthly governors always make God look good? What about the two prophets whose deaths the world will celebrate?

It seems as though the tail end of 1 Pet. 2:12-15 puts a caveat on submission.

[Jim Fleming]

Yes, there is an exception to what I have said. There is a time to disobey the laws of men. That time is not always easily discerned but it is very real. When we face a clear choice between serving two masters, a choice to either obey God or the government, God gets our obedience.

For example, if a health care plan for Americans is established by Congress and signed into law by the President which requires medical personnel to assist with abortions, allegiance to God would trump submission to government. Doctors and nurses should refuse to assist / perform the procedure and be prepared to incur consequences, although these consequences are a cause for celebration. They are trail markers on the way of the cross.

[Randy]

Yep, healthcare is a good example Jim. Another one is if you are a pharmacist and refuse to fill contraceptive prescriptions because doing so violates your religious beliefs. Just this week there was a story about some pharmacists in Virginia getting grief for refusing.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iFLoWwSaVUeLMHe8mPIPm-DymIMAD93V56MO0. Apparently, some states have made it a law. Just how the morning after pill factors in, I don’t know. Or what if you lived in China today? There you can be fined for breaking the one-child policy. Of course, the potential for non-healthcare examples also exist. Let’s say you are part of the clergy and live where you could be civilly liable for refusing to perform a homosexual marriage? I’m sure there are many other examples. In fact, even Jesus and many of His early disciples were considered troublemakers and guilty of treason under Roman rule.

[Randy]

Try this reference from last post.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27311596/

[Jeff]

Heads-up on voting (and until this post, I was planning on not voting, so forgive me if this is common knowledge).

I went to do Early Voting and got through the line. I was not given the option to vote for the local stuff (Mayor, Alderman, etc.). And instead of walking away and messing up the confidentiality of the vote, I submitted the ballot before I went to ask for help. I was told that because I submitted the ballot, there's nothing I can do. So, if you do go vote, don't hit cast the ballot on the computer till you're absolutely sure you've voted for everything you're eligible to.