After months in a North Korean prison for illegal entry, two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were returned to U.S. soil on Wednesday. Former president Bill Clinton acted as the save-the-day envoy to secure the two American’s captives release. Clinton met with the reclusive dictator Kim Jong Il in a rare meeting to negotiate the return of Ling and Lee.
Lee recounted the experience:
” . . . When we walked in through the doors, we saw, standing before us, president Bill Clinton… We were shocked. But we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end. And now we stand here, home and free.”
Some have pointed out that the Clinton visit has sidestepped the larger issue of North Korea’s illegal weapons and nuclear capabilities . Many political pundits have scoffed at the Obama administration for sending Clinton to North Korea. American international relations often dictate that speaking to a “rouge” nation legitimizes that government’s existence. For instance, John R. Bolton, a former US ambassador said:
Former president Clinton was met at Pyongyang’s airport by notables led by Kim Kye Gwan, the North’s long-time chief nuclear negotiator, an unmistakable symbol of linkage. In Pyongyang’s view, the two reporters are pawns in the larger game of enhancing the regime’s legitimacy and gaining direct access to important U.S. figures. The reporters’ arrest, show trial and subsequent imprisonment (twelve years hard labor) was hostage taking, essentially an act of state terrorism. So the Clinton trip is a significant propaganda victory for North Korea…
I am not a political scientist, but having studied political science and international relations at a Christian college (my minor was poly sci), my perspective on all things political is shaped by my faith. Christ said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed…” (Luke 4:18, NIV) Jesus’ mission was a faith mission and not a political mission, but his statement invoked government involvement by calling for release of prisoners and the oppressed.
There are political repercussions for negotiating with terrorists or 
other oppressive governments (it gives them bargaining power), but scripture calls for us to do everything in our power to complement the Gospel mission of Jesus, which includes release of the oppressed captives. Our government, if truly ordained by God as some Christians have loudly pointed out, has a responsibility to do everything it can to fight for the release of such captives. Notions of America appearing “weak” or “strong” are important words in the political vernacular. Our duty as citizens is to appeal to our elected officials to call for release of the oppressed, even if it is not our own.
At the end of the day, my allegiance is to God and not political theory. Sure, I want a safe country. I realize that sometimes America has to make tough choices in order to protect its citizens. It is not always as simple as sending a former president to negotiate the release of prisoners.
Our policy for negotiating the release of the oppressed should not be viewed in terms of “weak” or “strong”, but in terms of what is morally “right” and morally “wrong”. America’s strength should not be our might, but what our ability to do what is right.
