I am not likely to preach on 1 Peter, but it raises some interesting concerns.
The paragraph break in my Bible begins at verse 18, which tells slaves to obey their masters with gentleness and deference whether the master is good or harsh. The lectionary wants to distance the discussion from slavery and begins in the middle of the thought. "For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly." The author of the epistle (we will call him 1Peter because it is not likely to be Simon Peter, the apostle, but a member of his community of followers) goes on to tell people to avoid challenging the structures of the culture, whether slavery or emperor or one's spouse, but to live out the peace and love of Christ in all settings. Let it be your goodness that unsettles people, not your rebellion.
In some settings, this may be advisable for a while - there are times to protest and times when a protest may not accomplish any good purpose - but I do not believe that this bending to secular authority was the message of Jesus. Perhaps it is the difference between 1Peter's context and ours. Our society may not be for us as Christians, but it does not violently persecute us quite the way 1Peter's readers may have experienced. In our democracy, we have a civil right and a civic duty to call our authorities into account. We should not seek to establish Christian doctrine as a rule for public life, but to hold up virtues and values affirmed by Christianity for the benefit of secular life together. That really is what the "founding fathers" did. "We hold these truths to be self-evident... ," not founded in scripture or by the authority of God through and specific Christian tradition, but generally true and universally applicable.
Even if we disagree with his "don't rock the boat against authority" approach, the author of 1 Peter reminds us of some important guidelines: "when he (Jesus) was abused, he did not abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten." Our society needs to learn about peace. We, followers of the Prince of Peace, should be leaders in teaching and modeling peace. Not by meekly obeying authority when it is wrong and hurtful, but by defending the hurt and abused and calling attention to injustice without violence or hatred; by following in Jesus' way.
Bullying is much in the news and a concern in our schools. J. Bennett Guess in the UCC News talks about the bullying of gay teens that leads to both homicide and suicide, but receives less attention or press. What would Jesus call us to do to bring peace?
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