Taking America Back For God
This post continues my review and commentary on Greg Boyd’s excellent book “The Myth of a Christian Nation.” In this chapter Dr. Boyd brings some weighty matters to bear concerning the mixture of American nationalism with Christianity beginning with a sobering story. He attended a July 4th church service shortly after the Gulf War started and was appalled at the infusion of patriotism with the gospel. After a praise and worship time in which patriotic songs were inserted, the kicker for him was the closing scene of a patriotic video with a “silhouette of three crosses on hill with an American flag waving in the background” when “suddenly four fighter jets appeared on the horizon, flew over the crosses, and then split apart.” He continues, “As they roared over the camera, the words ‘God Bless America’ appeared on the screen in front of the crosses.”
Needless to say Dr. Boyd was “struck with horrified grief” and asks the following question: “How could Jesus’ people applaud tragic violence, regardless of why it happened and regardless of how they might benefit from its outcome?” An equally griping question he later asks is “Didn’t Jesus die for Iraqis as much as for Americans? Don’t they possess the same unsurpassable worth that Americans possess?” Of course the answer on both accounts is a resounding – Yes!
In examining this incident Dr. Boyd makes this statement. “We have come to trust the power of the sword more than the power of the cross. We have become intoxicated with the Constantinian, nationalistic, violent mindset of imperialistic Christendom.” He goes on to assert,
The thinking is that America was founded as a Christian nation but has simply veered of track. If we can just get the power of Caesar again, however, we can take it back. If we can just get more Christians into office, pass more Christian laws, support more Christian policies, we can restore this nation to its “one nation under God” status.
He then provides an excellent critique of the problem considering two questions: 1) “Did Jesus ever suggest by word or example that we should aspire to acquire, let alone take over, the power of Caesar?” and 2) How do we take back for God a nation that has never truly been His?
To the first question Dr. Boyd responds,
Unlike America, Israel was, in fact, called to be a “nation under God” in a unique way. God was supposed to be her King and, moreover, most of Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries wanted to “take Israel back for God.” This is precisely why they continually tried to fit Jesus into the mold of a political Messiah.
Of course Jesus would have none of that. In John chapter 6 we read, “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.” Had it been His motive to take over the world through political means this would have been an excellent opportunity. And again in John 18:36 Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Clearly, the kingdom of God is separate from the kingdoms of the world and the former will not come through the exercise of the later.
To the second question, Dr. Boyd provides many examples that remind us just how un-Christian the founding and building of this nation truly was. From the covenant-breaking, massacre of this lands native inhabitants to the slavery and brutality unleashed on millions of Africans to the greed-driven, inhumane industrialization that catapulted America into financial dominance…
The way this nation was “discovered,” conquered, and governed was a rather typical, barbaric, violent, kingdom-of-the-world affair. The immoral barbarism displayed in the early (and subsequent) years of this country was, sadly, pretty typical by kingdom-of-the-world standards. The fact that it was largely done under the banner of Christ doesn’t make it more Christian, any more than any other bloody conquest done in Jesus name throughout history (such as the Crusades and the Inquisition) qualifies them to be Christlike.
The summation then of this chapter is that we, who profess the name of Jesus and who live in America, need to take a serious look at our internal position concerning nationalism and patriotism. For in continuing to believe the government of God will be achieved through political ends is as foolish as it is un-biblical. Consider Jesus’ words from Luke 17:20-21,
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here {it is!}’ or, ‘There {it is!}’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (NASB)
Indeed, Jesus is the kingdom. And as this passage goes on to say, there will be no question as to when His kingdom is manifest in the earth. Until that day, we His people, are called to manifest the true kingdom by our individual and corporate expression of His dominion over sin, sickness, pride, anger, malice and whatever else is contrary to His character and nature. We are called to further His kingdom by love, not violence or political posturing. We are called to bear one another’s burdens – and there are many burdens being suffered throughout the world by our brethren. But until the patriotic scales fall from our eyes and the nationalistic veil is lifted we will continue to identify more with the culture and spirit of America than the culture and Spirit of the kingdom of God.
Preach the Gospel at all times; and use words if necessary.
St. Francis