“SO WHAT did you talk about?” I asked a Catholic School teacher who came from a whole day of Religious Education seminar. “We talked about unity,” she answered. “Unity? What’s that got to do with teaching Religion,” I responded sarcastically, intrigued by her answer. “Well, we learned that it is important to work together with parents, the parish, and other institutions if we want to teach Christian values.” That makes sense, I mused; and then I asked no more questions.
We can apply this little anecdote to shed meaning to the Gospel this Sunday. Plotting to entrap Jesus in speech, the Pharisees sent their disciples to ask him, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” An affirmative answer would offend the Pharisees for they did not want to be involved with anything political, while a negative answer would make Jesus an insurrectionist. So Jesus told them to hand him a Roman coin and asked them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they responded. Then the Lord remarked, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
Jesus’ remarks can be interpreted to say that he wants us to respect government and civic authorities, to participate in nation building by paying our tax dues. As citizens of a nation, we have to be united with political leaders in their intentions to give fellow citizens decent lives such providing them with jobs and availing them with affordable housing, healthcare, and good education for their children. Religion has a lot to do with pricking the con- science of a society or a government to be just, caring, and responsive to the needs of people, especially the poor.
On the other hand, the government has to respect the rights of any religious group or institutions, of any church. Political leaders have to acknowledge also the vital role of religious leaders and teachers in the shaping of a better world and in the formation of hearts and minds of adults, children, and youth. In others words, religion and politics, al- though two separate entities, need to work hand in hand and to listen to each other in order to build a just, progressive, and peaceful world. After all, we are stewards of God’s creation, including people’s lives.
As pastor of a Church, I have seen the importance and benefits of working with other institutions and disciplines such as media and entertainment, technology, medicine, city, and education, and business. A respectful and creative dialogue with them would allow us to resolve issues in families, youth, children, and the elderly people. An exchange of views with creators of technology, for example, would help us protect our children and youth from harmful influence of media and technology and the detrimental effect they have on relationships and communication in families.
Church and society, religion and politics must work for a “perfect union” to bring order and progress into God’s reign!
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Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas attended St. John Seminary in Camarillo, California and earned his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. For twenty years, he has been in the parish ministry of large multi-cultural communities. Since 2002, he has been the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles.
