Should we burn Teslas
Teslas burned, Tesla dealers under attack, and Tesla drivers facing hostility. Why? Elon Musk, who according to news reports owns 12 % of Tesla, has been asked by President Trump to recommend cuts to the size of national government with necessary reduction of the number of government employees.
Reduced government deficits, reduced national debt, reduction in income taxes, and fewer bureaucratic regulations would all seem to be a net gain. Many believe smaller government will be better for everyone.
Will it be easy to reduce the size and cost of government or will there be serious problems in the process? To reduce the cost of government three things are required. Outright fraud and cheating must be rooted out, wasted efforts or duplicated services must be eliminated, and the number of government employees must be reduced.
Reducing the number of government employees is where problems arise. Ideally, only the least productive government workers would lose jobs and the most useful would remain. The process is difficult and neither can nor will be ideal. Some good workers will lose jobs. Elon Musk’s assigned task is to recommend reductions to Cabinet Secretaries who in turn ask senior leaders where to cut. Many are angry with Musk because they believe, incorrectly, that he decides who is cut and who remains.
It is this misconception of Elon Musk’s role that has caused people to burn cars and attack a company they believe he owns. How should Christians react?
Our Lord cited Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”, and in Matthew he taught His disciples the Golden Rule, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Clearly, Christians are not to burn cars, break glass at car dealers, or injure property belonging to others. Christians are also called to obey the government so long as they need not disobey God in doing so. In Romans 13:1-4 Paul writes “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”
Can Christians never disobey government? Acts 5:28 reports the High Priest’s charge against the disciples: “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
Peter responded: “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
We may disobey to serve our Lord, but serving Him through obedience is the norm.
Always remember:
Only one life ‘twil soon be past;
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Rev. Dave Dupee is former Headmaster of an International Boarding School and is currently pastoring Fellowship Presbyterian Church (PCA) here in Newport.
