Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Incarnation in Government's Form

The uniqueness of Christian faith is the Trinity, as the Trinity is a 'model" that pictures the balance of power in God. And the Trinity also affirms an exchange or interdependence of the parts to the whole. Each person of the Trinity defers to the other, which gives back to the other. It is emblamatic of the "love" of God, in justice. Equality.

Our government has three branches which have a deferential relationship, as each is interdependent. This is a balance of power and it gives government proper functioning without empowering one part's part.

I find that the incarnation is most understood within the legislative branch as Christ fulfilled the "law" through bringing about justice. Christ was the Congressional leader who heard from the people and spoke back to inform the people. Christ gave his life, so that those who he represented could have a "voice". Laws define behavior and while the religious leaders felt that their understanding and their rendition of the law was appropriate, they had missed what the law's intent was; universiality.

Justice is a universal concept, but its understanding is usually contextually bound. Cultural understandings of justice are renditions of a particular religious tradition. Universalizers do not adhere to one particular understanding of a tradition for they understand the situatedness of a person's understanding and the temptation of those in power to take advantage of the ignorance of another. It is unjust to take advantage of the ignorance of another, as it breeches trust. Trust is about relationship, which in our form of government is public trust. Our government officials represent the people. They are entrusted with a duty. And the duty is the duty to be just in rendering representation of that trust.

I have been so late in understanding my country more in depth, although I have always loved her. I value her values and commit to her understanding of freedom. We are a people that are entrusted with our freedom and we must not take it for granted. We must defend against abuses of power wherever we find it and we must continue to protect our nation's security, as without it, we will be undercut by those who do not adhere to incarnating the values of law. Laws that protect justice and freedom!

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