Shake Hands With the Devil

Tonight was a reminder for me. We need Christians everywhere. We need Christians in the UN, we need Christians in the military, we need average joe Christian tax-payers, we even need Christian film-makers. I was imagining what I would write about the movie as I watched it, and I was passionate about reminding Christians that we have a responsibility for being agents of God's Justice. This can be defending a proposal for housing for single moms in Coquitlam from horrified comfortable citizens. This can be defending the guy at work who has everything blamed on him. This can be praying for our leaders to be just. This can even be joining a facebook group supporting the liberation of sex-slaves.

That blog went out of the window on the way home as we, to my astonishment, debated whether or not it was the responsibility of nations to stand for justice in other nations. Don't get me wrong, this movie isn't about the Americans in Iraq, it's about the UN Peacekeeping force in Rwanda during the genocide there. The person, whom shall remain nameless, argued (from what I can understand, this is completely beyond me) unless it benefited the country providing the 'peacekeeping force', then that country should leave the other nation to it's destruction. Due to the government's 'responsibility to the tax payer'. This is a professing Christian telling me this.

I am horrified! I confess I let the words 'THAT'S BULLS*IT!!!' come out of my mouth, and I recognise that in my anger I should not have sinned. I am literally left shaking like a leaf though. Wondering, 'am I being hpocritical?'. Do I stand for justice? Would I hide a Jew in my attic during the 'Great Wars'? Would I jump in the way of a hutu with a machete? The answer... I don't know... maybe in my selfishness I would save myself. But we're not even talking about that here, we're talking about using our tax dollars to save innocent lives. I am flabbergasted!

HOW CAN A PROFESSING CHRISTIAN LIVING IN THE MOST DESIRABLE PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LIVE, IN COMPLETE COMFORT, WITHHOLD TAX DOLLARS (WHICH ARE EQUIVILANT TO THE POPCORN, POP AND CANDY HE BOUGHT AT THE MOVIE THEATRE) FROM BEING USED TO SAVE INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FROM BEING TORTURED, RAPED AND HACKED TO DEATH?

I am so shocked I could cry. I want to be careful I'm not a hypocrite here. Do I hold anything in my heart equivilent to this incredible display of the flesh? Probably. If a Brother wants to bring that to my attention and call me to repentance, great. Anyways, I'm shocked enough for one night. What do you think?

Here's my question: Can a Christian believe this without it having serious consequences on the health of his/her relationship with God?

I'm reminded of Amos 5:21-24, you probably know it...

" 21 "I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
23Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.