In 1987 R.E.M. sang a punchy and danceable apocalyptic song warning of the world’s end. \u201cIt\u2019s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine,\u201d they sang in the oft-repeated chorus interspersed with lyrics that are a stream of consciousness containing apparent evidence of the apocalypse.<\/p>\n
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The sentiment in the song, also covered by the Christian rock group DC Talk, is often shared by Christians. This sentiment seems to lead to a laissez-faire attitude about the state of the world and therefore a lack of engagement in the world\u2019s affairs. In Jesus and The Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies<\/em>, NT Wright and Michael Bird argue that the church should be engaged in every level of society. They write, \u201cOur working hypothesis is that the kingdom of God is not from this world, but it is emphatically for this world. The Church\u2019s kingdom-vocation is not only what it says to the world, but is also what the Church does within and for the sake of the world.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The authors provide a broad historical perspective, examining the relationship between Christianity and political power from the early church to modern times.\u00a0They discuss how the Church has interacted with empires, political systems, and other world-shaping forces throughout history. The book explores how Christians should navigate political power and its spiritual components. It emphasizes that Jesus is King and that His kingdom should be the focus of the Church\u2019s witness and work, especially during political turmoil.\u00a0How should the church engage with the political system?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wright and Bird note that historically, \u201cThe Church and its message is either exiled to the attic of heavenly-mindedness, or else it is made a servant of the State to be bossed around at the will and whim of a leader.\u201d[2]<\/a> The call is neither for asceticism nor activism but rather they write, \u201cWe are to live faithfully within the symbols, story and message of King Jesus that bid us to clasp our hands in prayer as much as to put them to the trowel of earthly labour in his name.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Their solution to these two extremes is not middle or neutral ground but a different way of being. Central to this book is an intriguing phrase, \u201cbuild for the kingdom\u201d. They describe this as, \u201cApplied to the mission of the Church, this means that we must erect in the present the signs of that kingdom, providing a preview of what everything will look like when God is \u2018all in all\u2019, when his kingdom has come and his will is done \u2018on earth as in heaven\u2019.\u201d[4]<\/a> This idea of \u201cbuilding for the Kingdom\u201d means that Christians will proclaim the gospel in word and deed in every sector of society in such a way that the powers of the world are challenged and the magnificence of God\u2019s Kingdom is unveiled to a world broken by sin. It demonstrates to those who are not yet part of God\u2019s Kingdom that sin has been defeated and that new life is available to all.[5]<\/a> The idea is profound, but I want more practical insight from Wright and Bird on this matter. I want to explore how the average church pastor might form their people spiritually to do what Wright and Bird are advocating.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From a pastoral leadership perspective, I found Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church For Mission<\/em> by David Fitch. The author uses the term \u201cFaithful Presence\u201d similarly to \u201cbuild for the Kingdom\u201d. He explains, \u201cFaithful presence names the reality that God is present in the world and that he uses people faithful to his presence to make himself concrete and real amid the world\u2019s struggles and pains. When the church is God\u2019s presence, God\u2019s Kingdom becomes visible, and the world\u2019s invited to join in.\u201d[6]<\/a> Fitch deals less with powers that shape the world and more with the practical disciplines that form the church and that create a visible sign that makes the presence of Christ real for the world. The seven disciplines are the Lord\u2019s table, reconciliation, proclaiming the gospel, being with \u201cthe least of these\u201d, being with children, the fivefold gifting, and Kingdom prayer. One could argue that certain practices are missing, such as practicing the Sabbath, but these are a great foundation to build on. These practices are meant to both shape the church and provide the world with a foretaste of the future in Christ.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These two books are great companions. Wright and Bird offer a compelling rationale for \u201cbuilding for the Kingdom\u201d under the nose of the worldly powers to display God\u2019s Kingdom for the world. They focus more on the relationship between church and state and how we might navigate the relationship between these. On the other hand, Fitch provides the reader with practical ways to make God\u2019s presence visible to a world that needs Him. Both are similar in that they do not call the church to change or fix the world but rather to make the Kingdom real to the world while pointing forward to its ultimate consummation at the return of Christ.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the church is continually pushed to the margins of our secularized Western world, it would be helpful for church leaders to engage the ideas of \u201cbuilding for the Kingdom\u201d and the missional practices of \u201cfaithful presence\u201d. The temptation will be to withdraw from the world or use worldly power to impose the Kingdom on people. Neither displays the beauty of the Kingdom that has already come in Jesus. Neither creates a foretaste of the future of the world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If I had more time, I would like to explore some of the other central ideas in the book such what it means to submit to the governing authorities and when to resist the governing authorities. Another issue that would be worth exploring would be the types of government that Christians should avoid such as totalitarianism, Christian nationalism, and civic totalism (soft authoritarianism).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As I close, I would offer prayer for those who lead the church in these challenging times. May we lead so that we equip the church to make God\u2019s Kingdom presence visible to the world around us so that people are drawn into a relationship with our King.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies<\/em> (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Reflective, 2024). Kindle. P.7.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Wright and Bird. Kindle. 76.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> Wright and Bird. Kindle.78.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Wright and Bird. Kindle. 87-88.<\/p>\n