Jesus said, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Sometimes, we pastors find ourselves in a gray area between two biblical principles that seem to be in tension with one another. Which principle should we apply? And so, we try to find a “sweet spot” between the two. For instance, we have to distinguish between the realm of government and of the realm of the Church (the so-called Doctrine of Two Kingdoms, based on the above Bible verse)—and keep them separate. That is why you’ll rarely find Lutheran pastors at political rallies. Why then were my fellow missionary, Rev. Pasi Palmu, and I (along with an Iranian parishioner) at a demonstration in downtown Hamburg, Germany, together with some 10,000 people, protesting against the mullah regime in Tehran? Shouldn’t pastors stay away from such events? Perhaps. On the other hand, joining parishioners for such events is a matter of pastoral care, since we shepherds are called to stand with our flock in the tribulations of life. And so, Pasi and I marched alongside some of our Iranian parishioners on a recent Saturday. After our Persian church service the following day, one of those who had marched with us asked whether he might address the congregation. Puzzled, we replied, “Of course.” He walked up to the chancel, faced the people, and said: “Brothers and sisters, our two pastors were at the demonstration yesterday. They joined us as we mourn the murder of thousands and thousands of our citizens by our own leaders. Almost every one of us knows someone who has been killed…It is obvious that our pastors love us because they share Jesus Christ with us every week, but also because they stand beside us as we grieve the tragedy that has befallen our homeland.” To our surprise, the congregation broke out in applause. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding two pastors to your sweet spot.
The Tiews in Germany 