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On the one hand, God works through the good news to overcome human estrangement and bring humans into relationship with God. On the other hand,God works through authori- ties and structures to create the kind of order that allows humans to flourish.


political proposal. The peasants in Swabia, a historic region in south- western Germany, sent him 12 articles for comment. Each identified a grievance and pro- posed a remedy. Luther responded that most of the requests were just. And he urged both the peasants and the princes to


negotiate a solution. But he objected to the name the peasants used, “Christian Association,” because no political proposals, even those that are just, should be called Christian. He had several reasons for his


view, among them his legitimate concern that every political pro- posal has an element of self-interest. He understood human nature well enough to know that it was not pos- sible to bracket self-interest when formulating political proposals. This suggests that Lutherans should continue to be suspicious of political proposals that claim to be Christian. And it suggests that when believers make decisions about various proposals regarding public policy, they should ask, “Whose interest is this supporting?” “Who will benefit if this proposal is imple- mented?” (Often proponents try to camouflage this information, so it may take some investigation to find the answer.) These aren’t cynical questions because Lutherans recognize that every proposal serves someone’s interest. But if justice is to be served, it matters whether a proposal ben- efits the needy and the many or the powerful and the few. To summarize some of these


concerns, Luther formulated an idea 22 The Lutheran • www.thelutheran.org


that has traditionally been called the “two kingdoms.” Unfortunately, this name is misleading. What Luther had in mind was “kingdom” in the New Testament sense (e.g., “the kingdom of God”). “Kingdom” here refers to God’s rule or governance rather than the territory over which God exercises influence. So the phrase can probably be better trans- lated as the “two governances of God” or “two ways God influences the world.” This is a distinction, not a separation.


On the one hand, God works through the good news to overcome human estrangement and bring humans into relationship with God. On the other hand, God works through authorities and structures to create the kind of order that allows humans to flourish. Both come from one God, and both are needed. The idea of “two governances” is not about the separation of church and state. It’s about various func- tions that occur. Thus a church is the channel through which the good news is preached, but it is also an authority structure that has rules to follow, elects officers and the like. A good, healthy family is the source of unconditional love, but it is also a place of discipline. The “two governances” are like a parent who in one setting rushes to comfort a child who has scraped a knee, and in another setting insists that the candy bar be divided equally or puts a barrier in the middle of the back seat to separate bickering children. Justice is needed to settle a fight between siblings; mercy alone will not do the job. Similarly, a child needs to be nurtured by steadfast love. Cold justice will not do. God is a God both of mercy and of justice. Luther formulated his two kingdoms idea so believers wouldn’t confuse the two and would recognize the impor-


tance of each.


So far we have been discussing some things Luther sought to avoid. But this is only part of the story. For Luther, every Christian has a call- ing to serve the neighbor and the community. This means actively watching out for human need and responding to it. If the community needs a mayor, become a mayor; if it needs a school, build a school; and so on. This active sense of vocation pulls people out into the community and out into service. As the example of my father illustrates, Lutherans practice “civic engagement.” What underpins this civic engagement is God’s active involve- ment in the world. A central text for Luther was Luke 1:52-53. God “has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” God works behind the scenes to level the playing field and create justice. To do this, God works through humans and other creatures. Voca- tion is an invitation to become a channel for God’s activity in the world. The way this happens is not by hunting for some divine plan to follow. Rather, this happens by pay- ing attention to those who are suf- fering and then using one’s wisdom and imagination to figure out how God’s goal of shalom (wholeness, justice and peace) can be served in this situation.


Because God has a goal rather than a plan, humans are invited to participate in the decision-making. There is more than one way to get from here to shalom, and humans have been given minds and hearts to figure out at least one route. Luther taught that government is a gift from God, a channel of God’s activity. He invoked Romans: “Let every person be subject to the


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