A few posts ago, I got on a rant about the idea that America is or is not a Christian nation. I ended up focusing on Christians (and our hypocrisy), but another concept has been rattling around in my skull the past couple days. It's this...Can a nation truly be Christian?
To fully unpack this idea, I probably need to define (for myself) the words Christian and nation...what do they really mean? Most people would say that Christian means 'like Christ' or 'a follower of Christ.' So the common American viewpoint that we're all Christians because we believe in God and lead generally moral lives is...ummm...wrong. If Jesus was here today, he would probably be treated much like he was in his day. Those who saw their need for a savior would flock to him. Most of us that believe we're doing ok on our own would probably judge him. And all the while he would be talking about (and living out) sacrifice...giving of himself until there was nothing left (***See sidebar below). I'm not going to give the definition of nation (should be pretty straightforward), but nationalism is a concept that is a bit more tricky. Nationalism is the pursuit of a nation's interests, separate from (or at the expense of) other interests.
So...what does this have to do with anything? Give me a couple minutes and I'll try to bring this around...
Recently, there's been a ton of discussion on Capitol Hill about US intervention in Syria (or other nations) to put a stop to violence. Also, in the last few days (weeks?), the KONY 2012 video has swept across Facebook. Now this video may be propaganda that ignores the efforts of the African nations that want to take care of their own issues. It may be emotional manipulation or a host of other negative things. But 2 weeks ago, most of the people on Facebook had no clue who Joseph Kony was...at least now there's a recognition that he's systematically destroying the lives of thousands of children in Uganda, S. Sudan, and other surrounding nations. And one major criticism is right...clicking 'Like' on a Facebook page isn't 'doing something.' But signing a Congressional petition for greater US involvement is something...but do we really want our country involved in a hunt for Kony?
Now in general, I'm a non-interventionist. I'm pretty sure we would've been pretty pissed if Great Britain would've tried to shell the Union forces that burned Atlanta...it was none of their business, right? A good friend recently shared a quote from John Quincy Adams that I thought was pretty great stuff (see 1821 Independence Day Address here). But the thing is, my nationalism is what drives my views on interventionism. Because let's be honest...most of our attempts at involving ourselves in the struggles of other nations haven't really done much for our national interests. If we jump into Syria or increase our involvement in the hunt for Kony, it will be because of public pressure on politicians (read: I want to serve another term)...not because it's in America's best interests.
However, if I look at our nation as a tool I can use to serve other people in a Christ-like manner, then it changes everything. Suddenly, we have to consider the fact that we should be doing even more in foreign aid and doing more to halt injustice...even at the expense of our nation's interests. So...to try and bring it around...if we claim that we're a Christian nation, then we're claiming that our nation is willing to sacrifice itself (completely) to meet the needs of others. And let's be honest...that's just not going to happen.
So I'm not saying that we need to hunt Kony or take over Syria or anything like that. I don't know the right answers to those questions. My point is that words matter...and the phrase 'Christian nation' is an oxymoron. We, as individuals, need to examine where our loyalty lies. I believe that Christians must choose to follow either our King or our nation...not both. How that choice plays out in your own life is up to you, but if our faith is tied to the success of capitalism or representational democracy, then we're in for disappointment.
***Ok, I'll try to keep this sidebar short because I've written a book.
It's always interesting to me when I hear others (or myself) use the phrase 'haven't I done enough?' Most of the times that I use it, I'm just frustrated that some charitable organization keeps sending me annoying junk mail. But I really believe that the use of that phrase identifies a basic misunderstanding of the gospel. It means that we see giving, or charity work, or whatever, as a means of checking off a list towards meeting a standard of 'righteousness.' But this is in direct conflict with the grace offered through Jesus. There is no checklist...we're already righteous. And we're given the chance to find joy in pouring out everything in love for Christ. Not many of us would say 'haven't I done enough?' if our kids needed us to take them to the doctor tomorrow. We'd give up our time, our money, our everything, if necessary, because we love them completely. Should our love for God be something less?
Ok...that'll do.
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