Wake Up, Look Up

Hello everyone, thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch. In today's episode, we're looking at blue cities and we're asking the question, should we federalize crime fighting? Now, this is based on an article I read in the New York Times, but it's a story that's been everywhere. President Trump recently has sent the national guard into Washington, D.C. and is federalizing the fighting of crime in the city, citing the complete, in his mind, loss of power that the city itself has had in fighting crime. Crime statistics in D.C. are up in a number of categories, and he's saying, enough. If civic leaders can't get a hold of crime, then he will do it at the federal level. Not only is he doing this in D.C. but he's at least threatening to do it in cities like Chicago, New York and Baltimore, calling these cities crime ridden and arguing that for really a long time now, the leaders of those cities have proven incapable and that the residents of those cities are deserving of something better. Now, all of those cities have more than just crime rates in common. They are all cities that are historically Democratic. And of course, President Trump is a Republican. So what he's being accused of is politicizing crime and seeking to score points for his political party. Democratic leaders in these cities are saying they don't need his help. And some of them are citing some statistics that argue crime is falling. Murder rates, for example, in each of these cities are down. But of course, there are other rates that are up. Things like carjacking or violent crime or drug use or homelessness. So even some Democratic civic leaders are saying, hey, look, we obviously need help. It's also worth pointing out that each of these cities also receives federal funding to fight crime. So whether or not President Trump shows up with the National Guard, they are, at least in some ways, depending on the federal government for help. So the question is, how should we as Christians think about this idea of the federal government fighting crime in local cities, which have kind of their own government autonomy? Well, I think this is what the Bible would say. It's a little less about the political issue and a little more about the idea of leadership. Civic leaders are accountable for justice. In fact, it is a primary responsibility, at least from a biblical perspective, for leaders of government to provide a safe atmosphere for their residents. Romans 13, which is the off sided passage on submission to government makes clear that the government serves God. Romans 13:4 says the government Is God's servant an avenger who carries out God's wrath on wrongdoers? The government is the implement oftentimes of God's justice. And I can tell you this, God cares about murder rateids, he cares about carjacking, he cares about homelessness, he cares about addiction. And the expression of his care is supposed to be a government that is dealing with those issues. But instead, a lot of these cities have really allowed these problems to fester for some time. Another thing the Bible makes clear is that tolerating crime itself breeds more evil. Ecclesiastes 8 says, because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, more evil comes. The idea is that a miscarriage of justice isn't just wrong in that particular instance, it creates a climate for that. Look, the cities like Baltimore, Chicago, D.C. new York City, these cities have been crime infested for a long time. We know that. We know that. Cause we watch the news, we know that if you watch fictional television, there's a reason all these shows take place in these cities. It's because these cities stay in the headlines. So while civic leaders say, hey, President Trump should mind his own business, this is our job, you might imagine their residents going, well, who's doing the job? Are you actually doing the job? Some of these cities have become sanctuaries for crime. And the Bible makes clear that doing that puts you at odds with God. Isaiah 1:23 says, Your rulers are rebels. They do not defend the fatherless. The, uh, truth is that these civic leaders need to acknowledge the fact that their administrations have failed. And maybe they can do better in the future, but not unless they take ownership of the fact that crime is a real problem in their cities. Listen, God can use imperfect leaders. Proverbs 16:4 says, the Lord works out everything to his proper end. He's working things in difficult cities. He's working things through broken leaders. But God works through the humble, not the proud. And that means civic leaders might need to start saying, look, I don't know if the answer is President Trump coming in with the National Guard, but I do know I must not have the answer. That kind of humility creates an atmosphere for actual solutions, an atmosphere for actual camaraderie. Righteous authority. Civic leaders who take their responsibilities seriously leads to peace. That's why the psalmist is praying in Psalm 72 that God would defend the afflicted, that he would end and crush the oppressor. That's what so many people in these cities are crying out for. Listen, President Trump isn't federalizing the crime fighting in every American city. He's picking cities that have a problem. And in those cities, what is most sacred is not the local autonomy of the mayor or his or her administration. What is most sacred is the safety of the citizens of that city. Good and righteous government defends the innocent, protects those who are vulnerable. And if you're not doing that, then you need to get out of the way and let somebody do it. Because that is what God expects from government. And so should we. Hey, thanks for watching this episode of Wake Up, Look Up. If you enjoyed it, please help us get the word out by sharing it with someone you think might benefit from it. And while you're here, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get further content or even download the CCC app, where you'll find even more resources to help you grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

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