Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Romans 13:1-2 NIV
As a kid, I carried firewood from the woodpile upstairs to the kitchen wood stove all winter long. We made a tall pile along the brickwork and burned it steadily through the cold months. The house had not been designed well for cold, nor for wood heating, so we burned a lot of wood. Though the winters were not as cold or long as I am not accustomed to now in Alaska, I remember it taking a lot of work. Felling the trees, transporting the rounds, splitting the wood, carrying it up the stairs. I have distinct memories of rough cordwood in the arms. I had a method of loading it up that illustrates a salient point for our discussion of government.
With my left hand, I would place the first piece of wood in the crook of my right elbow. It felt light, the sharp, splintered corners did not bite into my skin. Then came the second piece. The weight doubled, I could suddenly feel the sharp edges pressing into my arm. Then the third, the weight got noticeably heavier. With the fourth piece, the sharp edges hurt. I remember many scratches across my bare arms.
Sometimes, my brother would load me up. He got a kick out of piling the pieces higher and higher. Five. Six. Seven. “No more!” I would say. He would smile and say, “You can take one more.” Clunk. The piece landed hard on top of the pile. My arms burned, the wood cut into my skin and I hadn’t even climbed the stairs yet. The last piece rolled when I moved, settling against my face. I had to walk sideways to see where I was going. The splinters hurt. My muscles burned. As I struggled, my brother thought it was quite the joke.
Governmental authorities are much like this. Each level of government is another piece of cordwood across your arm. They are all sharp-cornered and heavy. The more layers you add, the heavier the burden becomes on the citizens. Every new law increases somebody’s load. Every new agency makes someone’s life harder. Homeowners Associations. City Councils. Mayors. State government. Federal government. And now, global governing bodies are being added to the list. It is like a towering pile of cordwood that the citizen must carry.
In an ideal situation, every person would be in control of how many levels of authority are stacked in their arms, so they are not overloaded and crushed under the weight. Even in places that have the right to elect their leaders, this is not how it works. It is much more like my brother piling on piece after piece of firewood. Government officials don’t carry the burden. They don’t pay for the program. Their theory is always the same. “You can take one more.” Clunk.
