Evangelical Nationalism
There is a tendency among some Evangelicals (and in some other Christian groups), to view the United States as some sort of ultimate expression of God's will for the nations of the world. In these churches one may hear the US national anthem sung on or near July 4th, and perhaps that other patriotic song "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (...of thee I sing). The worship of God is placed along side of, if not temporarily displaced by the worship..., er, uh... adoration..., no I meant... Well, what is it to sing "of thee I sing" in the context of worship, if not worship of what we're singing about.
I wouldn't say that every kind of patriotism is incompatible with Christianity, or that it's incompatible in every way with it, but whenever patriotism trumps the concerns I raise above, or dismisses them as unpatriotic, left wing, or (gasp) liberal, then there actually is a problem. A big problem.
Jesus said we can only serve one master. It's true that he said that about God and money, but it is just as true about God and [fill in the blank]. Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven. That citizenship has everything to do with how we behave in a world that has different alliances.
This sort of (what I call) blind nationalism, expresses itself far too often in the rhetoric of Christians in the political sphere, or as non-politicians comment on politicians and policies.
Something is out of alignment.
(Thankfully, the above is not true of all Evangelicals, perhaps not even a majority--though I don't have any specific data.)
The Politics of Protection (for/from whom?)
What I'm also seeing is that many Evangelical voters are flocking to the rhetoric, if not the policies of protectionism. I don't mean merely economic protectionism (although that is being promoted too), but how we need to protect ourselves from our own government, from illegal immigration, from gun laws, from health policies (or from those who would seek to overturn them), from big business, from the 1%, from corruption, from [fill in the blank again]. It seems we have a big problem in this country, and obviously someone else is to blame.
There is a Christian value to protect. In 1Corinthians 13:7, it says "Love protects" (among other things). But who does love seek to protect?
Maybe you've already heard about the Greek word for love most often used in the Bible: agape. That word does not have the same breadth of meaning as the English word for love. In English I may say that "I love that car." If I did, I might mean that I want to own, to possess that car. But the Greek word for love (agape), as it's used in Scripture, never means that I want to possess, let alone control someone. It means I want the object of my love to flourish, to excel, to be the best they can be, to be the person God created them to be. New Testament Biblical love is always more concerned about the other than it is about oneself.
Jesus tells us that whatever we do to the least, we do to Him (Matthew 25:40). As we look at the candidates for President of the US, who is looking out for the least? Who is protecting those who cannot protect themselves? On the one hand we have Republicans (allegedly) protecting the unborn, on the other we have the Democrats (allegedly) protecting the poor and the foreigner.
Do we vote for self-protection and out of self-interest, or out of the kind of selfless love Jesus exemplified: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34)? What's it going to be folks?
Slander
Paul tells Titus this: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone"(Titus 3:1–2, emphasis mine). That word "slander" there doesn't mean merely to bring false charges (as the English word usually does). Other versions translate this more accurately (IMHO). The NRSV (followed by the ESV) translates this "speak evil of no one." My lexicon (Greek-English dictionary) defines this word (generally) this way: "to speak in a disrespectful way that demeans, denigrates, maligns." (BDAG). It can mean slander, in the sense of speaking lies. But anyone who's been through junior high knows that there are folks who speak the truth in ways designed to inflict the most damage.
One of the problems in the Evangelical world is also seen in the way that these folks embrace disrespect and character assassination for all those they disagree with. Even setting aside the distortion of what their opponents actually said, or did, even if they are totally (and technically) correct, the truths are not spoken in love (cf. Ephesians 4:15), but with vitriol.
But such behavior, such talk is plainly and completely unchristian regardless of its motives. Paul encouraged the Roman Christians, sometimes persecuted by their own government, to remember that "The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling agaisnt what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves" (from Romans 13:1-2). He finishes his teaching on dealing with the horrid, corrupt and idolatrous government of his day by saying this: "Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor" (Romans 13:7). In other words, we pay our taxes and respect and honor those to whom God has given places of respect and honor - even if they are 100% wrong, as they were when Paul wrote this.
Be a Christian in the Political Sphere too!
I won't tell you who to vote for, or who to vote against. I haven't made up my mind yet either. But that's not the point of today's blog. I just want to remind us Christians to keep our Christian values in the realm of politics too. Whatever happens next November, remember God is still in charge, and our citizenship is still in Heaven.
