I am becoming weary of Christianity Today as a publication. This isn’t the first time an article of theirs has irked me.
The self-righteous Pharisee-echoing quote by Eric Foley at the end about “pray for heart of regime, rather than for regime change” “governments don’t bring peace, only Prince of peace does” — utterly ruined it for me with its:
A) not so subtle swipe at President Trump’s approach to the Korean peninsula,
B) its disgraceful disregard for the historic role of America’s military in securing the peninsula and liberating millions of South Koreans and
C) complete theological disregard for how God employs the use of human governments/human armies/human activists to accomplish Providential ends.
Foley *even* has a blog entry critical of North Koreans who choose to defect! Remember Ji Seung Ho holding the crutches from President Trump’s SOTU address? Well according to Foley, that’s nice but the “real” heroes are the ones who choose NOT to defect and accept their potential death sentence. Read for yourself:
Prior to 1945: North Korea was a haven for American missionaries who referred to Pyongyang as “the Jerusalem of the East” - including the likes of Billy Graham’s family...then USSR’s Stalin came along and installed Kim Il Sung and henceforth the country deteriorated into a GULAG ridden hell hole.
SOUTH Korea on the other hand has the 11th largest economy in the world. Does capitalism and freedom produce challenges and snares of sin which have befallen the Western world? Of course! But it doesn’t mean we should “settle” for oppression and promote martyrdom over saving lives? No! Good grief!
South Korea’s churches are responsible for sending out more global Christian missionaries than any country except the U.S.
I have been to the DMZ border between the two Koreas. The observation deck on the south side has three statues: Jesus, Mary, and Buddha - representing the religious freedom and tolerance of the country (in contrast with its neighbor) and the prayers being lifted up daily for *unification.*
NONE of these blessed S. Korean realities would have been possible without the political and military role of the United States. And Korean Christians with firsthand experience will be the first to acknowledge this fact!
GOD can use whatever means to accomplish His will and work through whatever people.
And instead of throwing stones at the current US president all the time - Christian elites the likes of Foley, Russell Moore, John Piper - would be better off praying for him and giving him the respect due the office.
Perhaps they’re too arrogant to see how God is using our President for grand purposes beyond their capacity to discern.
And if North Korean Christians can bring themselves to pray for their leader, then American Christians should be able to do the same for THEIRS.
I agree 100%. These people would be giving the 50 pieces of silver to Judas (or to a government bribing Judas!).
Praying for something inside Kim would happen means also praying for something inside North Korea to happen, ie have competent and honest people run it other than Kim. Christ said to cut your right hand (power) if it makes your right hand (power) makes you sin. For Kim to repent he would have to humble himself renounce power first, and to that end a bloody nose is often effective to save someone’s soul.