THE CHURCH AND NATIONAL INTEREST...A GRAIN OF SALT

Several church groups are urging the opening of an ‘interest section’ in Tehran.

The implication of their urgings would seem to be that all would be well, or at least all would be improved if only the United States would open something of a dialogue with the Iranian government…that that government would be responsive to ‘friendly’ gestures from the American Government.

The thought occurs to me that one should consider the source…that is, consider the interests which the church groups represent.

I am thinking that whereas the responsibility of the Government of the United States is to protect the interests of the United States, that the responsibility of the churches is to protect the interests of what those churches perceive as the interests of God’s churches or God's kingdom on the earth.

Now, inasmuch as it is relatively easy to correctly perceive a nation’s best interests in the arena of international relations and affairs, and inasmuch as it is infinitely more difficult, even impossible to be sure of correctly perceiving what God has in mind for His or Her earthly institutions, the recommendations of the various churches as to international affairs can only be taken with a few grains of salt.

Face it. God’s plans are not discernable…with absolute or even near absolute certainty.

A nation’s best interests can be mistaken as well, but with a far greater degree of certainty as to what is what.

Churches attempt to represent God’s will for the world.

Nations seek to represent the best interests of nations.

Decide for yourself which has the best chance of being right.