Testing

How about this for an inaugural post:

I've been reading a book entitled "Myth of a Christian Nation." Sounds intriguing doesn't it? Well, it is. I find that it isn't really controversial or mind blowing information I've never thought of before, as much as it is just refreshing that someone else feels the same way inside the church.

The basic premise is that America is not and never has been a "Christian Nation." It has indeed borrowed Christian values and certain terminology that would make you feel like it could be, but there is a vast difference between America, or any world government for that matter, and the Kingdom of God (being a Christian).

The problem for those seeking to "turn America back to God" is the teachings of Jesus. Jesus proposes turning the other cheek and praying for enemies. Jesus decided to die a sacrificial death on a cross because of an immense love for us. Jesus promotes sacrificial love as a methodology for his followers. America is in the middle of war over oil, or, if you rather, for the advancement of democracy and capitalism (which, by the way, would end up putting us in a good position for our oil interests). America, in its history, has for the most part advanced its causes by physical force. In this way it does not look like the Kingdom of God Jesus came to establish.

The problem for the church are those who would identify Christianity with any political entity, republican or democrat. The problem lies in methodology. If we allow America to be labeled as a Christian Nation, we discredit true forms of Christian faith. We discredit the true loving acts that come from Christ followers around the world. We paint Christianity with the pallet of American democracy, instead of living up to the calling of being a blessing to the world through self-sacrificial love.

Sure, America makes references to God. "One nation under God." "In God we trust." If you visit the National Mall in DC, however, one quickly discovers that we've only built monuments to ourselves. We've deified the founding fathers. We've glorified democracy, law and order, and reason. There is no monument to God. God is just a decoration that colors our history, and provides a sense of unity to the Nation.

In this sense America has used Christianity as a civil religion. It provides a familiar vocabulary. It gives us common purpose, and unifies us in spirit. But it is not the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God has no national boundaries. There are no kings, presidents or rulers besides God who is the King of kings. The Kingdom of God lives through the followers of Jesus. Self-sacrificial love is our calling card. It is love not morality, or a promise of heaven in the afterlife that Jesus taught. Loving those who the religious have abandoned. Serving those that seem below your own status.

It seems that a major struggle for American Christians, is that this Kingdom of God idea does not find its way into the hearts of those who proclaim to follow the Christ. At best the Kingdom of God is simplified to heaven in the afterlife. It is not thought of as living now. Without this, Christianity is thought of in only terms of spiritual needs. Physical needs are the department of the State. Without this we concentrate on morality rather than love. We use our moral superiority to condemn the world rather than coming under others in loving service to transform their hearts, and thereby transforming the world. We would rather legislate behavior than actually bleed for others out of love.

Without the Kingdom of God as a present reality, we find hope in government rather than in our God. People in the political establishment often describe America as being the hope for the world. Christians tied to politics might even say that we have to return America to God, because America is the hope for the world. This is not the hope we believe in as Christians. Our hope is in God, and he has made us the salt of the earth. He has made us a light on a hill (which is another way America is sometimes described).

As Christians it is in our best interests to detach ourselves from the civil religion, and regain our image as followers of Jesus in a kingdom not of this world. As Christians in America we have the right and responsibility to participate in government as we see fit. As Christ followers we must resist taking up the sword through legislation, moral superiority or physical violence in any form. We must take up our cross and sacrifice ourselves in love for others.