Objections to Certain Unaffable Rites: Kim Davis and the American Conscience

Kim Davis, County Clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky, was held in contempt for her defiance of Constitutional law on the grounds of her faith. She refused to issue marriage licenses altogether in response to marriage equality.

The Kim Davis case, the County Clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses in Rowan County, Kentucky, presents a conundrum. For many, the conversation is wraught with problems on both sides of the argument. The debate is redefining and has strained the relationship between government employment and conscientious objection to federal/state policies, which were already tenuous. One thought I had, however, is how accountable or not accountable should we hold government employees when they defy policy on any grounds?

As a Christian, I may disagree with certain policies that are incongruent with my faith. Under federal law, reasonable accommodations are to be provided to employees such as wearing a burka or accommodations for prayer. These are physical accommodations where no federal law necessarily eschews. But what about philosophical accommodations?

Former Secretary of State, First Lady and Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has come under fire for using her personal email account for government purposes. As a federal employee, she defied a government policy that prohibited use of private email in her work. Everything from Benghazi to what staffers knew in her employ has been called into question. The GOP as well as America has held her accountable for not valuing transparency.  Clinton should have been more responsible by adhering to the rule rather than valuing her own convenience. Kim Davis, on the other hand, has invoked the name of God in both her defiance and defense of the Constitution. It would be silly to think Hilary Clinton could invoke the name of Jesus on the issue of whether to use her gmail account or the .gov account. However, in a pluralistic society where poly-fill-in-the-blank is the aspired value, is there room for a Christian science teacher working in a public school to choose not to teach the core curriculum when she knows evolution is incongruent with her belief in creation? Is separation of church and state a "hard and fast rule" or is it pliable? Are religious people to be more creative in how they perform their job responsibilities w/o violating their consciences? Or, are departments such as the DOJ the only ones given the grace to defy federal policies?

In the Jim Crow South, and across America, laws and policies were violated by many people of whom were not employees of the state. However, we do know that there were places where county and state employees who were white (not a whole lot, a smidgen really) subversively and secretively defied segregation laws. The conscientious objector is the role of a person ready to risk it all to bring public attention to harmful policies. Edward Snowden, for example, is now living in exile in Russia for whistleblowing the federal government's harmful surveillance debacle while many illegal immigrants (not all) gain certain protections under law.  No matter where you stand on immigration, does government of the people and by the people protect objections to certain unaffable rites in it?

There are consequences for being the conscientious objector living and preaching in a hostile environment that cuts to the core of faith, belief and what it means to be American in this country. Should Kim Davis be held personally accountable for her defiance of the federal law as a state employee? The answer is as much yes as was the case for Meshach, Shadrach and Abegnego who defied Nebechadnezzer's law to worship him instead of the one true God. That story can be found in the Book of Daniel in the Bible. Since God is sovereign, if it is His will, she will be vindicated. However, she and others have to get comfortable with facing negative consequences when we defy the federal government and its laws. All of us, not just people of faith.

Our Identity as Marked by the Gospel of Our God

http://bible.us/n/5Ihk

We marry our identities to so many different things that are contrary to who we really are or were meant to be. And too often have these marriages begun with shotgun weddings. However, the Apostle Paul encouraged believers in 1 Corinthians 9:17-23 to reflect on their identity, with the gospel in view, by inviting them, and more appropriately us, to see a snapshot of his way of life.

A part of this identity that Paul described is demonstrated in our humble service to others as empowered by the gospel of our God. "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more" (19). Who we are is married to "whose" we are; and though it is in our very nature to be servants to none other than ourselves,
the life that is now married to the gospel of Jesus Christ is one that is hidden in His identity. Jesus Himself "did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). And in His identity we are empowered to serve others with the gospel in view.

(22b) "I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

(23)  I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it."

To "become all things" refer again to this identity, and it was Paul's clear goal to identify and connect with people: thoughtfully, emphatically with the gospel in view. Who am I willing to become in order to reach others?

"All men" means all kinds of people without discrimination or prejudice. The gospel is for everyone (Acts 1:8). Where am I willing to go to reach others; and what cultural barriers am I willing to cross or bridge to reach others?

"By all means" refer to various kinds of methods to proactively pursue people. Prioritizing the gospel is key in these approaches. What methods am I willing to employ to reach others?

"Do all things" refer to his purpose. It was Paul's constant life goal to ensure that everything he did, every action commenced, and every step taken was done through the lens of the gospel. We, too, in a post-modern culture should find ourselves engaged in such a way in our own lives. In what ways does my life engage the culture right now; and what am I willing to do to ensure that it continues?

He did all of this in order to become a "fellow partaker" in the work of the gospel. "Fellow" regards partnership: with God and His work and with those who participate in that work. "Partaker" means participant. He wanted to be an engaged and active participant in the work that God had not only called him to, but to the same Lord that counted him worthy, having entrusted to him the stewardship of that work. What has God entrusted me with in my stewardship of the gospel and of my identity in its work?

Ultimately, the end goal of the life whose identity is married to the gospel of Jesus Christ is that "by all means some [will be] saved." As Christians, our very lives should be marked by that which is "the power of God unto salvation to those who would believe" (Romans 1:16). This is who we are. Moreover, this is who we were meant to be.
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Questions
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1. In what ways can I become all things to the people who are in my sphere of influence?

2. What are some approaches and methods that will assist me in using all means to reach others?

3. Is my life mark by a prioritization of the gospel, and do I do all things through that lens?

4. Am I engaging the culture while in partnership with God, His work, and His people from a biblical worldview?

Our Response: Obedience

Prayer is becoming more important to me because I realize that I haven't really prayed as consistently as I should have over the course of my Christian life; that is, in a designated time of devoted prayer.  Do I pray? Yes. However, it has been more in the conversational, throughout the day, meditative/reflective, kinds of prayers.  I've struggled most of my Christian life to simply ACT in prayer as I interact with God's Word, particularly with regard to the petitions of others and to the matters that God would have us pray.  


Prayer is worship, whether in the prayer closet, or in "every place" as Paul instructs Timothy about directing men to "lift up holy hands" (1 Tim. 2:8).  I recognize that perhaps I don't pray much this way because real, daily intimacy with the Father is lacking.  I really want to be able to give the kind of attention to prayer that I would to a movie or to a really fun game, or a job or other activity; like one would give to their lover.  This for me is needful. This is needful for everyone who consider themselves a follower of Jesus Christ.

Case in point: my mom just called right now and informed me that my cousin Willie died last night (in the middle of typing these words).  He would have been 80 years old this year. Yesterday morning the Father burdened my heart that I needed to see him that day before the end of the day.  I'd been reading Acts 9 & 10 where Peter was obedient to go to Lydda where Dorcas was sick and died. He immediately went with the men who came to Joppa to retrieve him, "coming without delay" (Acts 9:38,39). Dorcas was raised to new life. Moreover, I read how the Father implored Cornelius, a gentile, to send men to Joppa to find Peter and how Peter responded in obedience because of the vision God gave him, opening a door for the gospel to be preach to those who were not Jewish.  Peter went to Cornelius with the men who were divinely directed by the Holy Spirit (v. 21,22) to retrieve him.

Last night, I did not ACT.  One thing is for sure: the Father has once again shown me His Sovereignty and that He does speak to those who seek after Him in prayer. I am only learning diligence in the seeking, faith in the praying, and obedience in the response. He wants us to respond in faith when He speaks to us in prayer.