Identify with the Kingdom of God

Andries Pienaar was a spokesperson for the Afrikaner Volksunie (a splinter group of political conservatives) at the World Trade Center talks. He had always had a keen interest in politics and affairs of state. At the age of 16 he was already involved in Afrikaner politics as a provincial leader of conservative youth. A well-spoken and ambitious intellectual, he quickly climbed the organizational ladder. At 21 he became a member of a secret writing society supporting Afrikaner nationalism.

But politics didn’t bring him peace or satisfaction. Andries couldn’t reconcile his faith with his intellectual leanings as he became more and more involved in politics. He kept his two worlds of faith and politics separate. Many Christians live in this kind of schism even though, like the Afrikaners, they may be deeply rooted in the church and the Bible.

Eventually Andries realized he didn’t want to be inconsistent, to live in two separate worlds. He realized that there was more to life than politics and power. This meant he had to accept that all persons are equal before God. He had to take the Bible into every part of his life, not just church.

As the Afrikaner world began to fall apart, Andries realized that his people needed to find their primary identity in terms of their faith and in the Kingdom of God. He said: “If you don’t have spiritual security and a world view that makes sense, you are in trouble. This is a lesson of life for all.” Like Paul wrote to the Philippians: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Saviour from there” (Philippians 3:20). As Christians our identity must be first and foremost in Christ and his kingdom.

Reflect

Are you angry or fearful in the face of the current political scene? Do you separate your politics from your faith? Spend some time in prayer asking God to show you how your faith should impact your politics. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.