The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 22:21

Separation of church and state is the most hallowed doctrine of our country. I wrote about it briefly in an earlier blog on June 1, 2010. I would like to return to it again since it keeps turning up in public discourse on television and in the press.

The separation of church and state has served to guarantee Americans freedom of religion for over 200 years. This doctrine, however, has also caused many to compartmentalize their lives: many of us live a “church” life one day a week and a “state” life for the remaining six days. We treasure our “religion” but somehow many refuse to let it influence them as they go about the business of life. I’m reminded of the story about a pastor who told a member of his flock that he should pay his workers a just wage. “Now, pastor,” said the church member, “that’s not religion you’re talking. That’s business.” But, the business of justice is also the business of the good citizen.

The Bible insists that every action we perform has religious significance and that religion is real only if it mingles with the everyday lives we lead. Justice is a virtue and so it has a high place in the teachings of Jesus. But, it is also the foundation of any system of government and so belongs to the state, as well. The same is true of virtues like honesty, compassion, respect for others, and integrity.

By saying that we must give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, Jesus stresses the need to fulfill our obligations to each other in the political and social world. By asserting that we must “give to God what is God’s,” Jesus emphasizes our spiritual and moral obligations which can only be satisfied by following our consciences and respecting the law of God. Involvement in the political life of society and involvement in the life of the Church go hand in hand. You cannot have a good society without good people, and you cannot make a good Christian out of a bad citizen.

It is not easy to be a member of the church in today’s society for the values of the gospel often conflict with the false values of society. As church, we are called to give both the state and God what is theirs. But the gospel does not give us a simple answer. Discovering what society needs and realizing what God deserves happen only with hard work, and keeping both balanced is no easy task. It requires insight and courage.

The gospel calls on us to make difficult decisions; to reach out to all those in need, to engage in loving service that does not seek reciprocity.

Being a good Christian in our world requires a life of decision-making, a life of learning. But such, after all, is the life of a full human being, the life of a person who dwells in and longs for the fulfillment of the reign of God.

The kingdom of God in our world can only be built up by people who hold a dual citizenship-by being citizens of the state and citizens of the church.

Take you’re calling seriously by giving to the state what is the states and to God what is God’s.

Fr. Hugh Duffy.