Vance causes a ruckus
The Bible teaches natural affections
This is a screenshot of Vice President J.D. Vance’s interview with Sean Hannity on January 30, 2025. YouTube/Fox News
When Vice President J.D. Vance dove into Christian theology with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, he didn’t foresee the controversy it would create.
From various sectors in the U.S. faith community to a former conservative British MP, X exploded with references to Scripture, St. Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas over ordo amoris–order of loves, or natural affections.
All of the either/or debate misses the all-of-the-above conclusion that Christ followers may miss in political tribalism. Agreeing with Vance is the America First position; agreeing with those challenging him amounts to disagreeing with what President Donald Trump advocates. The truth is not subject to political tribes.
The Bible teaches natural affections, but Christ followers should have a mindset that stretches from love on earth to supernatural love for mankind.
The following is the video of Vance (4:38 to 5:42):
There’s this old school — and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way — that you love your family and then you love your neighbor and then you love your community and then you love your fellow citizens and your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.
A lot of the far left has completely inverted that. They seem to hate the citizens of their own country and care more about people outside their own borders. That is no way to run a society. . . .
For Vance’s X debate, read it here and some U.S. responses here and here.
C.S. Lewis explained: “St. Augustine defines virtue as ordo amoris, the ordinate condition of the affections in which every object is accorded that kind of degree of love which is appropriate to it.” The relationship one has with someone explains the affection extended to him or her.
Scripture justifies natural affections. (Verses in the ESV.)
For example, Exodus 20:12 states, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” So does Eph, 6:2, which states: “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise).”
The apostle Paul taught the following in 1 Timothy 5 in a passage about widows. 1 Timothy 5:8 states: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Anyone who puts the interests of strangers to the detriment of his wife, children, and family has failed in his basic obligations.
The pushback against this is the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. A Samaritan saves a man who was mugged and left for dead, with a priest and Levite passing on the other side of the road. The Samaritan had him bandaged, took him to an inn to receive care, which included settling outstanding bills for his care when he returned. Jesus Christ’s point: your neighbor is anyone near you.
There is no one-size-fits-all to the emotional issue of love. A husband demonstrates love differently to his wife than he would express love to the wife of a friend, acquaintance, or co-worker. The same rule applies to one’s children compared to the children or co-worker. The love expressed to parents and siblings is also different.
The Holy Spirit provides Christ followers a deep supernatural love. Proper display of natural affections will impact supernatural love. Dysfunction, sadly, will impact those relationships too. But God calls us to a divine impact in all areas of life.
Any church worth being called one has a missions program, supporting missionaries around the world. Churches support missionaries who take the gospel of Jesus Christ to a specific people group in a corner of the world.
Missions can include: disaster relief, food pantries, homeless shelters, crisis pregnancy centers, education, medicine, sports, prisons, the persecuted church, freeing slaves, and combating human trafficking.
While natural affections are real, so is the bond that unites followers of Jesus Christ, no matter their location in the world. Heaven won't be a gathering of American or Caucasian Christians. Heaven will gather every people, tribe, and tongue with one bond: salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
There are numerous passages that talk of the supernatural love, unity, and bond the body of Christ must have for one another. For example, some of them are:
1 Corinthians 1:10: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
Hebrews 10:24-25: “24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
This love is stronger than the physical bond of family. It surpasses anything on earth because Jesus Christ created it and it will last for eternity. This bond enables churches to engage in missions projects in their communities, the nation, and world for many purposes, such as:
Rescuing people who have seen destruction from natural disasters. Countless Christian organizations are better at this than the government.
Freeing those captured by drug or alcohol addiction.
Putting food on the table of countless people who would go hungry otherwise.
Freeing people who are enslaved in certain countries because of customs that have enabled it for generations.
Providing education, health care, and spiritual instruction for countless children in third-world nations.
Freeing people captured in human trafficking and sex slavery.
Establishing hospitals or medical clinics in remote places around the world.
There are natural affections in the spheres of life. It extends to the church, and God uses supernatural love to change people and the world to build His church.
