Misusing the Bible

One of the temptations we sometimes have in reading the Bible is to make a direct comparison between our own times and the narratives we find in the pages of scripture. Certainly, there are big-picture ideas and concepts that can help inform how we are to apply scripture, but we should be very careful when we try to cram the stories of the Bible into our 21st century context.

Currently, our country's government is in the midst of a shutdown. The primary reason for this shutdown is funding for a physical wall that would be constructed on the border between the United States and Mexico. Recently, on social media and on pundit-driven television, I have seen folks appealing to the Bible to garner support for the building of a wall on our southern border. While I am sure that no harm is intended by these folks, I nevertheless am very discouraged when I see the Bible being used in such a manner.

Some people have appealed to the story found in the Book of Nehemiah, where the cup-bearer of the Persian king, Nehemiah, inspects the walls around Jerusalem and starts a community development project to rebuild the walls (see Nehemiah 2:11-20). However, the purposes of that ancient wall and this proposed modern wall are vastly different. Nor do I think it is wise to compare the country with the largest, most powerful military in human history with the hardscrabble Judeans who were returning from exile.

But the most insidious comparison I've seen is a post on social media that says, "Heaven has a wall, a gate, and a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders. Let that sink in."

Attempting to craft domestic policy by appealing to the logistics of heaven is patently ridiculous. Yes, the Bible does say that John's vision of the heavenly realm will have walls around it. However, it also says that those walls will have gates: "Its gates will never be shut by day -- and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations." (Revelation 21:25-26)

I am not qualified to tell you whether a physical wall on our southern border is a good or a bad idea. I don't pretend to be an expert in such issues. However, I can tell you that regardless of where you might stand on the subject, appealing to the Bible to make your case is not helpful. And if any leader wants to appeal to scripture on how to handle this issue, then perhaps they should read all the Bible and not just the passages that they mistakenly think fit their agenda. For example, passages such as Leviticus 19:33-34 or Deuteronomy 24:17-22.

The point is this: Let's have spirited discussions and debates about various political issues. But let us use more care before we arrogantly claim that the Bible wholly supports our perspective. Instead of using the Bible as a political football, why don't we read it and allow its words to shape our hearts?