Editor:

Re: Christians, young or old, urged to do their duty, the Observer, Oct. 26.

Pastor Jody Rinas does well to urge Christians to do their civic duty and partake in the electoral process.

Considering the abysmal voter turnout in the recent federal election it might have been wise to have ran the Pastor’s letter prior to Oct. 14.

There is one item though in Rinas’ column that somewhat misleading to readers and to Christians in particular.

That is his statement “Christians observe a distinction between God’s two kingdoms. We understand that the kingdom of God is not of this world (John 19).”

The actual quote is from John 18 but I feel it is important the full text of Jesus’s words be considered in order to keep things in context.

In his response to Pilate’s question as to whether he was King of the Jews Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

The key to understanding Jesus’s reply is found in the word “now” which I interpret to mean Christ’s kingdom (that of God, the Father) was right there before the eyes of both the Pharisees and the Jews but still the majority of them could not see it.

A tenebrous cloud of uncertainty and spiritual darkness hung over the people of Palestine during Jesus’s time. The prophets held that a messiah would one day come to awaken and free the people but not as many supposed, from their Roman overlords, but from the confining, life denying dogma of the Pharisees who held the people in both spiritual and secular bondage to their rigid, ancient Talmudic laws.

That, I suggest, was the “world” into which Jesus Christ came, to bring the new covenant of love and light and peace and brother/sisterhood.

When he said his kingdom was not of “this world” he was referring to the world the Pharisees and the Romans controlled.

Jesus was bringing the children of Israel (Jews and the Gentiles included) a new world, a new testament, a light that shone within the spiritual darkness of his time and as John states in (1 vs. 5) was not then comprehended by the Jews.

Those that did perceive the light which Jesus manifested were, as John states in (1 vs 12) given “the power to become the sons of God.”

Judging from today’s political landscape the Pharisees and the money-changers are still holding sway over the people, spiritually, politically and economically.

Christianity is reeling from 2,000 years of overt and covert attacks by these same Pharisaic forces who rejected and murdered Jesus Christ and then set out to destroy the new religion of his followers.

When the Christ appeared so did the Light and it shone forth in resplendent brilliance upon a new world; one that replaced the Talmudic terror of the Pharisees which fills the Old Testament with so much bloodshed, vengeance, hatred and darkness. The new world or New Testament is very much a part of this world that Jesus Christ brought to earth.

Spiritually, therefore, Christians need to recognize this and fight to keep their religion and God’s word alive. One positive way is to assume one’s civic responsibility as Jody Rinas suggests and to vote for candidates who radiate that Christ light and uphold truth.

Arthur Topham

Cottonwood