Just some thoughts.
Jesus said, "Love your neighbors"--agape. "Love your enemies". --agape.
John said "Love not the world, neither the things of the world"--agape.
Now I know those three don't contradict. But I see them often quoted "against" each other, particularly Jesus's vs. John's.
I need more than one reason to get out of bed in the morning. I also need more than one 'verse' to 'understand' just what God wants out of me in any situation.
I understand that I am an ambassador of Christ. I understand that I am not to get entangled in the affairs of the world--most especially in a "worldly" manner. To me that especially would be "loving the things of the world". But am I wrong to be thankful when good things happen in the world? Is it ONLY an experience of Evil which the Lord gives us to humble us? Doesn't He also give us 'experiences of good?' Isn't there "good" also in the fruit?
The very reason Jesus gave to 'agape' our enemies is:
Mat 5:44, 45 ...Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:
for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. If we are here to learn (and I very much think we are) then isn't there something to be learned from the "good" we encounter? Am I supposed to believe that there is no such thing as 'good'?
But I need more than one reason to "not get entangled". Here's more than one that apply to me. Your mileage may vary.
1. Involvement in politics on a level far above me seems to me vanity and pride. I've lived that.
2. It causes me no end of grief, loss of faith, and temptation to 'hate' my 'political' foes. And since I have no 'earthly' power, that too is vanity. I've lived that too.
We're told that a good life is:
Mic_6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?What if I see "injustice", "no mercy" and "walking proudly"? I know God hates these things. Surely, my first concern is to make sure that I'M "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly." First I have to judge myself. But if I judge myself "not guilty", then what? If the beam is out of MY eye, then what?
Should I not at the least be thankful when there is movement towards "justice, mercy, humility"? Should I call out hypocrisy when I see it? And to whom, if I should? The whole world? The 'church'? My little corner of the world where my 'light' can actually be seen?
Did Ray write and record all these volumes to engage in a theological debate? You have no idea how disappointed I would be if I were to learn that was true.
So if the "nation" and the "world" are not (yet) my domain, what about my community? That's really where my neighbors are, and where this little grain of salt has fallen. Can I do something 'here' that won't cause me to 'hate' or feed my vanity and pride? Can I be part of something that partners with 'government' to try to do some good? Big or small? Maybe that might mean calling the police to end a string of robberies or burglaries? Maybe working against some injustice? Maybe feed or otherwise help some people? Maybe? Assuming I don't loose faith and my 'foes' are not 'political'--not even people at all--but conditions? Even if it is ultimately pointless in this age, is it always going to be like that? And isn't there something to learn from trying?
I know that for the flesh, nothing really ends 'well'. But if we really are 'in training', is it sufficient that we only concern ourselves with the 'evil'? "Be ye separate"...is that the end of that? Or can I maybe 'be separate' in another way as well, by doing good when most everybody else is watching TV and eating Cheetos, or sitting in pews singing endless 'praise songs'?
I'm not saying I do much good. I don't. Like Ray said, he thought he ought to do some more of these 'good' things, but he was doing what God called HIM to do. Maybe to a degree, so am I. But at the least I want to understand what it really MEANS to 'let my light shine'.
If I can misquote and expand on what Extol said...he said that for many people, 'nationalism' was their 'highest hope'. Maybe I can soften that a bit and say that for many people "love of country" is their highest calling. Even though that statement is a little sad, I really think that for most of them it is a "good" thing, as things go, even with all the baggage that may go along with it. It can inspire them to something above selfishness.
Given the alternative in parts of the world removed from my 'comfort' and 'blessing', I can't help but be thankful when oligarchs and despots get replaced by legitimate--even if imperfect--governments in places like Africa and South America. God set Kings for His purpose, but He also brought them down. I just can't bring myself to tell 'those' people that they should do nothing. That's for them to decide. How and why things are done matters as much as what is done...maybe even more-so, because 'how' and 'why' are spiritual. Jesus will judge righteously, both good and bad.
I'm not so sure I should be telling myself to do nothing either. Those three scriptures do not contradict. If somebody has a better idea how to 'unify' them (and others), I'm listening.
One thing you should give thanks for is that you are not me. If you need only one reason to get out of bed in the morning, count yourself blessed.