When I ask this question, I'm not being sarcastic, it's not loaded...

Sojourners writes a review today of Michael Gerson's new book Heroic Conservatism, and of course, since he is a disgruntled former member of the Bush regime, they love him to death.

But they also cite and quote from an article he wrote today in the Washington Post. I'll pick up their lead in to his quote:

He says there are two competing belief systems in the Republican Party – libertarianism and Catholic social teaching - and writes,

The difference between these visions is considerable. Various forms of libertarianism and anti-government conservatism share a belief that justice is defined by the imposition of impartial rules - free markets and the rule of law. If everyone is treated fairly and equally, the state has done its job. But Catholic social thought takes a large step beyond that view. While it affirms the principle of limited government - asserting the existence of a world of families, congregations and community institutions where government should rarely tread - it also asserts that the justice of society is measured by its treatment of the helpless and poor. And this creates a positive obligation to order society in a way that protects and benefits the powerless and suffering.

Of course, I agre with the first view. But the second is what leads to my question. He cites this as "Catholic social thought," but it goes beyond that as it is very common in the evangelical church today. But was that truly the message of Christ? Yes, he did mention that "whatever you did to the least of these you did to me," but wasn't that more of a personal message? Was that to society as a whole? My initial and superficial exegesis notes that he was talking to the disciples, which leads me to the latter interpretation, but this is something that I am seriously in conflict with.

On one hand I no-doubt see the social ramifications of this behavior and message (and if they politicians are claiming to be Christians then they need to follow) but on the other hand I know that we live in a fallen world and the world is not just. We can of course do our part, but there will always be poor among us and while it is important to share what we have, the most important thing is that we and they enter into the Kingdom of God, where true justice will one day be served.

To conclude, I enjoy a lot of the new ideas out there now on the Kingdom of God and Its Presence here on earth. I totally buy into that. How it plays out in the goverment is another question entirely, I need some more thought and reading and teaching and prayer on that.