South Carolina Baptists value people, partnerships, prayer, innovation and integrity. We always have; we always will. Because these ideals and people are so precious to us, we should want to be involved in today’s public arena. As Christians, we need to recognize our responsibility to be involved in the public arena.
Joe MackIssues that need to be addressed cry out from headlines and magazine covers every day. God expects each of us to respond to the needs of his children. Our Baptist Faith and Message states: “All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society- . Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth and brotherly love.”
If Christians do not shape our laws, the boundaries of social decency and morality expand more and more. Dr. John Stott once said that “evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel and social action is the demonstration of the gospel.” Jesus’ life was the example of this. Not only did he teach and preach; he met physical needs wherever he went. His example was to love every person as himself, and that love was practical and practiced.
South Carolina is fortunate to have people serving in the General Assembly who work to preserve our family-friendly atmosphere and promote traditional family values. Men like Rep. Dennis Moss who sponsored a bill to keep liquor stores closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Rep. Greg Delleney who unwaveringly promotes and sponsors pro-life legislation. Senators like Joel Lourie and Wes Hayes who are working to regulate the payday loan trade, and Sen. Vince Sheheen who wants to protect students’ rights to use their religious viewpoint as a topic in school assignments.
It is every Christian’s duty to become involved in shaping the future of our country and our state by influencing today’s culture. It is our responsibility to engage the culture through education, media, and legislation. Why is this our duty to be socially and politically involved? John Eldredge (Focus on the Family) sums it up: Love compels us; evangelism depends on it; justice demands it; and the Christian view of government requires it.