An interesting discussion point
Let's start with the phrase:
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Wikipedia says (and one shouldn't blindly take Wikipedia for absolute truth on anything, but it's a starting point for discussion):
When in Rome, do as the Romans do[1] (Medieval Latin sī fuerīs Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; sī fuerīs alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī; often shortened to when in Rome...),[2] or a later version when in Rome, do as the Pope does,[3] is a proverb attributed to Saint Ambrose. The proverb means that it is best to follow the traditions or customs of a place being visited.
Saint Monica and her son, Saint Augustine, discovered that Saturday was observed as a fast day in Rome, where they planned to visit. However, it was not a fast day where they lived in Milan. They consulted Saint Ambrose who said "When I am here (in Milan) I do not fast on Saturday, when in Rome I do fast on Saturday".
That reply is said to have brought about the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".[4][5]
en.wikipedia.org
Now some would back up this notion with Romans 13:1-8...
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Now this is often used to trap Christians into blind submission to authorities that can and are often wrong and oppressive.
Jesus would be tested on this by those seeking to test and end his ministry, such as found in the account in Matthew 22 (also found in Mark 12 and Luke 20) when the Pharisee hypocrites asked of Jesus it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar hoping to trap him and Jesus responded "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are to God's."
When it is proper to defy governing authorities, you can look at an example in the Old Testament, in the book of Daniel, where Daniel would defy the authorities by not defiling himself with the king's food or wine. Then we find Daniel's friends, called Shadrach, Meshack, and Abed-Nego, would defy the authorities by not bowing before a golden idol.
Now Christians don't have license to do what they well please, such as driving 55 miles an hour in a school zone with children milling about. There are laws that are reasonable to abide by. We do want to be salt and light in the world and not seen as defiant anarchists, to bring people closer to the Kingdom of God. But also,
"Be not conformed to this world." (Romans 12:2).
Be in the world, but not of this world. (See John 15:19 as well as many other passages in the Gospel of John)
But as it says in Proverbs 29:2:
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Now back to the question of God intervening, He intervenes on personal levels, which people will offer their testimonies. On a larger scale, will He intervene or is the Rapture as described in the Bible come soon, time will tell. Sometimes there's no telling how He has been intervening without our knowledge, as things may have been worse (e.g., wars and terrorism on a much larger scale) if not for the prayer of the saints. But how long before He enacts His final judgment, again, time will tell.
