Does Jerry Coffee respect Barack Obama? Does he honor and pray for our president? Judy Bader raises these good questions in her letter last week. I’ve had occasions to witness Mr. Coffee’s sincere faith in Jesus and his devotion to the Bible, so I have hope that Jerry fully intends to follow the Apostle Paul’s dictum in Romans 13: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
It is unfortunate and patently unbiblical for Christians to disrespect and dishonor our governing authorities. Amazingly, when these words were written, the authority was the Roman emperor Caesar - not an amenable or particularly friendly administration! Still, scripture insisted on respect. Certainly there is a clear Biblical precedent and constant societal need for prophetic speaking of truth to power. This is what Mr. Coffee sometimes does. All of us have a right and responsibility to make our voices heard on issues of justice and mercy, but always with kindness and love for our political “enemies.” I am ashamed of outraged, undisciplined Christians, both left and right, who ignore God’s standard of honorable discourse indulging in hyper partisan pandering to putrid political prejudices.
Jay Jarman
Aiea
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