Facilitating Closure
U.S. President Donald Trump this week issued an executive order directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to begin facilitating the closure of the U.S. Department of Education. The order specifically says the Secretary, “shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
As a part of this process, the White House announced that oversight of student loans would shift from the Department of Education to the Small Business Administration (except those for students with disabilities, which will be reorganized within the Department of Health and Human Services).
Analysis and eternal perspective: The size and scope of the federal government has long been an intense debate in U.S. politics. As a result, a story about the planned closure of a federal agency is sure to generate white-hot debate. If you are a U.S. citizen, no matter whether you favor a robust Department of Education or support its closure, this process presents you with a prime opportunity to interact with your own self-governance.
The U.S. Constitution established the framework for a limited federal government with three separate and co-equal branches, each with distinct powers articulated by one of the first three articles of the Constitution. There are many instances, including the Department of Education, of the Article I branch (Legislative) creating a component of the Article II branch (Executive). This interplay between the branches was a tension the Founders purposefully infused into the structure in order to limit the power of each branch. It provides U.S. citizens with multiple ways to impact the governing process.
As a Jesus follower, you should care about, and invest in the flourishing of, your community (Jer. 29:4-7). While there can be genuine disagreement about the best way to accomplish this shared goal, The Equipped family should lead the way in unifying under this biblical admonition to advance the wellbeing of those around us.
Simultaneously, your ultimate home is in heaven (Philip. 3:20). As you fervently work to created flourishing in the here and now, do not lose sight of the fact that your current station is within a kingdom that will pass away, and your investment should be constantly aimed in a direction that will last forever.
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.