True Civil Disobedience

True Civil Disobedience

Submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. . . . Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. Romans 13:1-3

Not too long ago, the FBI investigated a “denial of service” attack against corporate websites. Apparently some hackers, who know far more about computers than I do, launched an “attack” through which they caused these corporate websites to crash. They did it quickly and anonymously.

In an article, some of the cyberspace criminals, who had either been apprehended or were speaking anonymously while still in hiding, used terms like “justice” and “civil disobedience” to explain their actions. But to my way of thinking, their actions lacked courage.

And without even understanding the full nature of their claims, for that reason alone—the lack of courage to face those they disagreed with as they acted in “civil disobedience”—their reasons didn’t hold much water with me.

Contrast their approach—acting without courage behind the comfort of a keyboard—with that of Patricia Stephens Due, who in 1960, while a student at Florida A&M, was arrested for sitting in a whites-only section in a Tallahassee restaurant. She knew the penalties for her actions and faced them head-on to right a wrong. I’m grateful for her courage and the courage of other African Americans who, like her, stood up when necessary—just as people have done across the African continent throughout 2011, often armed with nothing more than their presence and their iPhones. Those protestors, like Ms. Due, truly did make a difference for justice. (As an aside, I played with J.T. Thomas with the Steelers. He was the first African American football scholarship player at FSU. He certainly would not have been there without people like Patricia Due.)

Christians should be careful in this age of easy anonymity. Too many people fall prey to posting harsh, inflammatory rhetoric on the Internet. If we disagree, we should speak out, civilly and openly. If something is wrong, we should take a stand with other brothers and sisters, or alone if necessary, and be prepared to face the consequences. That is civil disobedience—if we must disobey authorities, we should do so with courage.

Model yourself after Patricia Stephens Due and others in her era . . . not a bunch of hackers.

Uncommon Key > Submit to the governing authorities, but speak out with candor and grace when necessary when God calls you to do it. Starting today.