[Kasey Leander]

Something I appreciate about Robert Nicholson’s vision for Hebraic leadership is that, far from being esoteric or intangible, it embraces the same wellspring of wisdom as the book of Proverbs. It’s the same book that says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” and “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” It’s grounded in the same wisdom literature that tells us there is a time for everything under the sun, a time to make war and a time to make peace.

In that vein, Robert argues that Christians should not be afraid to use of state power to achieve proximate (Earthly) justice. We are often torn between the idea of Christ’s kingdom as a spiritual one, and the state’s legitimate role of establishing justice. We shouldn’t be. In fact, Christians should have the most clear perspective of any people when it comes to what constitutes legitimate state power: a vision that both respects people’s right to make their own religious choices, “renders unto Caesar that which is Caesars,” and acknowledges the ways all human governments slouch towards anarchy or totalitarianism. The world needs that kind of wisdom. Christians, through school boards, city halls, state capitols or Congress need to “get in the game.”