I'm skeptical of "issues." They primarily serve the purposes of politicians, who manufacture them at every opportunity.
Manufacture them because issues are a guaranteed way to get people to take "sides:" the work-of-the-flesh that Galatians 5:20 calls "factions." As I've noted many times here, the Greek word is haireseis, from which we get our English word "heresy." Strong's glosses haireseis as "a self-chosen opinion:"
If scripture classes "factions" as fleshly sin, we must know it has no place in a Christian's life. The fact it manifests "self-chosen opinion" should tell us where taking "sides" about issues positions us in regard to Christ, The Word and The Truth.
Capital punishment has been one such "issue" in our society all my life. I was thinking about it today: thinking especially that the worst thing that ever happens to a moral question is that it be framed as an "issue," subject to politicians' self-serving manipulation. The worst thing we do with a moral question is take it on politicians' terms, and take a partisan "side" towards it according to our "self-chosen opinions."
I certainly have an "opinion" about capital punishment, and probably most people do.
But I was thinking of the times I hear a news-story about some murderer's sentencing. In their "victim-impact statement" to the Court, it's surprising how often families of murder-victims use that opportunity to tell the murderer they forgive him.
More than once, I've heard family-members say they forgive because "I have to," as did some family-members of the nine Bible-study victims of white-supremacist murderer Dylann Roof. Their desire to obey Jesus compelled them to forgive others, as they know they are forgiven in Him.
More than once I've heard families of murder-victims even ask that the Court not sentence the murderer to death.
When that happens, it's delusional to respond by "opinion," or even think opinions matter. At such times, followers of Jesus will be powerfully moved in their spirit by the manifest working of His Spirit. Amen.
