Last Saturday was the Fourth of July. Instead of having our usual cookout and excursion to see Nashville's impressive fireworks show, Judy and I were driving back from a week volunteering at Barefoot Republic Camp. By the time we got home, unpacked and showered, we were too pooped to do much but have a quiet dinner at my parents' and watch fireworks with them on TV (but I must admit, the fireworks looked pretty good in high definition!).
Each year on Independence Day I find myself somewhat uncomfortable. As an American I feel patriotic. I am certainly grateful for the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy in this country. And having travelled to many other countries, I am convinced we live in the greatest country on earth. (I wonder if French travelers say the same thing about their country . . . and if they do, is that patriotism or self-delusion!)
On the other hand, as a Christian, I struggle with what it means to live as "aliens and exiles" (1 Peter 2:11), a stranger in a foreign country longing for a better country (Hebrews 11:8-16), knowing that my true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 2:11). What does it mean to be a Christian and to be an American? Can I have dual citizenship, like someone who is a citizen of two countries at the same time?
And what does it mean for an "alien and exile" to pledge allegiance to a flag? Is it enough to say "one nation under God" and by that to assert that my allegiance to my country can only go so far as is consistent with my higher commitment to God?
Sometimes it seems to me that our talk of "God and country" runs the risk of confusing the two. If I were a Christian in Brazil or South Korea or New Zealand, wouldn't I love my country and face these same questions? And then what would we all do if we found our countries at war with each other (like the British and German Christians facing each other in the trenches of World War I). If we are not careful, could unquestioned loyalty to our country and saluting the flag in church put us at risk of following the path of Christians in Nazi Germany who saluted the Nazi flag in their churches?
Now please don't misunderstand me. I am certainly not saying that America is Nazi Germany! But then, in 1930 Germany wasn't yet Nazi Germany. Yet within a few years, many Christians in Germany somehow found themselves saluting the flag hanging in their churches—a flag that stood for almost everything the cross stands against. Somewhere along the way they crossed a line—or maybe it was more a gray area—between loyalty to their country and faithfulness to the will of God.
I wonder where that gray area begins. I wonder at what point our patriotism could enter that gray area. I wonder if we would realize we were in it.
As we were driving home Saturday along a rural highway, we passed a little church with a row of dozens of flags out front. As an American, seeing the row of red, white, and blue stirred feelings of pride. As a Christian, I couldn't help but wonder if we were slipping into that gray area.
Last year I attended a Christmas parade in Texas. Amid the various floats and clowns and marching bands came a group of horses with riders dressed in red, white, and blue. Some were carrying a U.S. flag and a Texas state flag with crosses on top of the flag poles. That image troubled me. What were we to make of a cross on top of a flag pole? Did they mean that the flag is under the cross—that what the flag represents should always be seen as subordinate to what the cross represents? Or, was it possible that they actually had the cross and the flag confused—that patriotism and religion were becoming too intermingled?
My question was answered a moment later when two riders came by with a specially-made American flag spread between them. Across the middle of the flag, between the red and white stripes, in large blue letters . . . was the name, "Jesus."
5 comments:
Great questions, Rob.
Unfortunately, patriotism today seems to be rooted around statism and militarism. And we seem to think that God regards the U.S. as a more special a country than any other, or that he approves of all of our wars or other actions. Despite all of our freedoms - which have long been in the process of being whittled down - we have an ugly history in many ways, with lots of unjust wars, extermination of Indians and theft of their land, the holding of slaves, the abortion of millions of babies, etc. But we're the greatest country in the world? If so, we are just the healthiest patient in the cancer ward. Frank acceptance of these facts can only help confirm us in our devotion to a heavenly citizenship.
You mentioned the Nazis and Christians in Germany saluting the flag. On the other side of the issue, what do you think about Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a minister who participated in a conspiracy to kill Hitler? Was he justified, or should he have avoided any involvement in violence?
Casey
"On the other side of the issue, what do you think about Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a minister who participated in a conspiracy to kill Hitler? Was he justified, or should he have avoided any involvement in violence?"
By the way, this is just a question about Christian morality - I'm not considering any conspiracies of my own!
Casey,
I really like the analogy of the best patient in the cancer ward. You are exactly right that our country has a very mixed record, as do all nations of the world. As nations go, I'll take our freedom and prosperity over the alternatives I've seen so far. But we are far from perfect, and there is much that I'm sure displeases God. Freedom too often comes with a lack of moral judgment, and prosperity too often comes with greed.
I think Bonhoeffer is one of the most compelling Christian figures in modern times. I'm not a pacifist, and so I would probably support his efforts to overthrow Hitler. On the other hand, as a just war advocate, I think Christians must be extremely cautious about the use of violence. I did not intend to suggset that all German Chrsitians supported the Nazis. There were churches, known as the Confessing churches, who refused to join Hitler's German Church. My comments were intended to raise the alarm about the use of flags in churches--the image of Nazi flags in church is simply too frightening.
Rob
Rob,
A couple of questions about our relation to government. Paul's teaching in Romans 13 is troubling. He says, "Let every soul be subject to higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, but the existing authorities have been ordained by God. So that the one resisting authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and the ones opposing will receive judgment to themselves."
It is difficult to accept that the Nazi state, for instance, was an authority ordained by God. It is even more difficult to accept that resisting that authority is equivalent to resisting God. Am I somehow misreading Paul here?
This teaching also leads to another cunundrum. If I accept his teaching at face value, the founding fathers of our country were "opposing the ordinance of God" by resisting the English crown. Yet, after they won their independence, it would have been evil to resist _their_ authority, they now being "ordained by God"?
Paul also says, "For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the bad. And do you desire not to fear the authority? Do the good, and you will have praise from it; for it is a servant of God to you for the good. But if you practice evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to the one practicing bad things. Because of this, it is necessary to be subject, not only on account of wrath, but also on account of conscience."
Is Paul speaking of obedience to laws that regard crimes mala in se (wrong in and of themselves), or also of crimes that are mala prohibita (wrong only because they are prohibited)? We have some laws in this country which are immoral, and ought to be disobeyed. But what about laws that are simply moronic or inconvenient, even though not necessarily evil? Am I obligated to obey those "on account of conscience" as well? Or does the reference to "conscience" serve as a clue that he's talking about mala in se crimes?
Lastly, Paul says, "For on this account you also pay taxes, for they are ministers of God, always giving attention to this very thing." It is difficult to credit our current crop of rulers as "ministers of God" (indeed the same can be true of preceding administrations/congresses stretching back for quite a long time). Our taxes go to not only the administration of justice against evildoers, but also for the persecution/harassment of the innocent in the "justice system". They also go for many useless ventures, and even evil ones. So Paul's teaching here strikes me as simplistic. I'm not sure what to do with Romans 13.
Casey
More good questions, Casey. Don't know that I've got great answers. Personally, I don't think we should take Paul at face value here. These are a handful of sentences on an involved subject. They represent a viewpoint on government common in Paul's day, which is hard for us to grasp in a democratic worldview.
I think Paul is asserting that governmental authority is divinely ordained, but not that every governor or emperor holds office by specific appointment from God. Paul knows that Jesus was executed by a Roman governor and Paul himself already had faced persecution by governing authorities in places like Corinth. He knew when he wrote this that individual rulers sometimes persecuted the righteous.
I think his basic concern was that Christians not get caught up in the tax protests rising in Rome at that time or the revolutions brewing in places like Judea. Revolution was hopeless in the Roman Empire and early Christians promoted the idea of good citizenship as a positive witness in the society. If you were to suffer at the hands of authorities, let it be because you follow the example of Christ, not because you are disobeying the laws or rebelling against the government.
I think the teaching of this passage and the similar passage in 1 Peter definitely call into question the American revolution. However, for the Christian, once a regime change has occured, we are still called to obey civil government as an institution whose intended purpose is to do God's will--even if they often do not.
That's my read, though I recognize it will not answer all the questions--it doesn't even answer all of mine!
Rob
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