Can
a whole country or political system be sinful? How so? (Serendipity
Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 1267).
The
real meaning of the story [of Jonah and the big fish] has much more
to do with God’s redemptive grace toward outcast sinners [as in
Nineveh] little of which [grace] seemed to be found in Jonah’s
heart….. We all harbor attitudes of prejudice and we all have a
favorite grudge. We want God to be merciful to us but not so much to
our enemies…. We tend to think that we’re a little better than
those people, that we somehow deserve God’s blessing more than they
do. Yet these are the kinds of people… that Jesus himself
specifically reached out to know and to help. The teachings of Jesus
and the apostles make it clear that God extends mercy and grace to
people from every nation, no matter their color, gender or social
stratum; no one person is more deserving of God’s grace that
another. (NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with
Jimmy Carter, page 1057).
In
answer to this question it must first be pointed out that all people
are sinful – no one is perfect. In this sense whole countries and
political systems and the individuals within them will not be perfect
and will sin through acts of commission or omission, either
intentionally or through blindness.
I
remember very well when Pres. Ronald Reagan labeled a competitive
country “an evil Empire.” Pres. Reagan thus spoke from within
his own country which incidentally had a high crime rate, extensive
poverty, serious problems with drug and alcohol addiction, widespread
allegiance to materialism, racial divisions, and a dubious
environmental record. Predictably, many in America applauded his
remarks feeling measurably superior and more righteous than those
criticized. The conclusion and point that I would make is that we
must be aware of human foibles and system imperfections wherever they
are found – including our own backyard.
Another
point, organizations are made up of individuals who provide multiple
perceptions and perspectives. The worst regimes ever perpetrating
themselves against humanity are bound to have within them people with
dissenting consciences who await only an opportunity to act. The task
becomes how to best assist them in redeeming the cultural climate of
the organization and in realizing structural change.
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