I Will Stand and Love

"Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." - Ephesians 6:13

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

"Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues." - Revelation 18:4


I recently found myself in a discussion on obedience to governing authorities. The man to which I was addressing myself claimed that we have only have freedom under the law, for it is only under law that we have the methods to secure a safe and secure environment to live within. Although we are two different people, and perhaps I did not understand where his starting point was in the discussion, I have to say that yes. In the world, we are subject to law. But more importantly, as a Christian, I am subject to a much higher authority than law. I am subject to a moral call to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to love my neighbour as myself. Upon this commandment, all the law hangs. So what is the law to me?

Human law is, in many ways, dead. It is something to which I submit myself to show love to those in authority, and the majority of the time, I will not go out of my way to disobey the laws in my country so long as they comply with the standards of other-centered love and morality that I know God desires. Once these two clash, I no longer follow man, but God, who guides my conscious and my heart.

At the point at which the law goes against the heart of Jesus, I will refuse to follow the laws and the declarations of man, and work for love, justice, and mercy for those being oppressed. Screw freedom. I want something better - I want Christ's kingdom on Earth. I'm not waiting for death to see heaven, I want to live it now. So tease me, curse me, beat me, kill me, do whatever you like if you think my chosen disobedience to the oppressive economies and laws of this world are strange. I'll take it. And love you in return.