I’m an American Citizen by birthright. My family in America goes back to the 1600’s when some Scottish immigrants came over to the New World. I have family members that fought in some of the greatest battles this Country has ever participated in, from the Battle of Gettysburg to the epic conflicts of World War 2. I bleed red, white, and blue; have done so for as long as I can remember. I have voted in every election since I was able, even volunteering as an election official numerous times. I love America.
But this isn’t my home. I live here. I don’t belong here.
This is a battle those of us who follow Jesus and live in America face. How do I live in this nation, participate in the freedoms and liberties this nation provides, be an upstanding and productive citizen, while not becoming attached to any aspect of it? How do I participate in the political system without relying on it to do what I as part of the Church should be doing?
More and more I am seeing an incorrect attitude within the American Church in regard to our American Citizenship. As I look at the Church’s attitude towards our nation, I find myself asking the question, “you do realize this is not our purpose?”.
We are selfish and self-centered. I don’t know if anything illustrates this for me more than the Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017. Books were written, sermons were preached, articles were distributed, Christian TV was awash in how prophetically significant this event was going to be. “It is a prophetic sign that we are living in the end times and that Christ’s return is imminent.[1]” “Upcoming total solar eclipse brings end times speculation.[2]” “Is the solar eclipse a message from God?[3]” “Coming eclipse is a sign of God’s removal of America from the earth.[4]” I could provide more examples of similar headlines. And yet, solar eclipses are not a rare or unforeseen event. Worldwide, there are 2-5 total solar eclipses every year, yet to our selfish American eyes, it is suddenly significant because it is happening to us.
This attitude has arisen from a faulty belief that because of America’s heritage, its’ founding being heavily dependent upon biblical principles—even direct divine intervention, we are “special” in a way other countries are not. I’ve even heard it taught that America is the “2nd Israel.” This thinking is as old as European colonialization of this continent. In 1630, John Winthrop, Massachusetts Bay Colony’s first governor, proclaimed the New World in Scriptural terms as “a city on a hill.” And yet this thinking is wrong and even dangerous. We can be grateful for God’s hand in the history of our nation while not creating an idol out of an idealistic viewpoint. In a blog whose author goes unnamed,[5] the argument is made for America as the New Babylon, not the New Israel;[6] the point being made that America is the bastion and purveyor of all different types of evils. The fact of the matter is we could unearth as many national sins as anything that would label this Nation as a “Christian Nation,” no matter of what time period we speak.
Incorrectly viewing America as a “Christian Nation,” or a “New Israel,” causes us to incorrectly view our role within. When I view America as a Christian Nation, my individual evangelistic role becomes unimportant and my reaction to people who do not act in accordance with a “Christian Nation” becomes defensive and unhealthily introspective. When I view America as a Christian Nation, I view the political process as part of my spiritual responsibility. This causes me to view political opponents as spiritual enemies, and thus I act accordingly. We see any political act that opposes Christ as a direct and personal affront to our spirituality(and in a way it might be, but more often than not when that is the case we certainly do not respond as Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 5:11-12 [blessed are you..when they speak evil against you falsely on my account, rejoice and be glad…]), thus we put up walls and lash out in defensive attacks on these people. Ultimately, when we view America as a Christian Nation, we are associating our identity as the Church with our identity as Americans—an unhealthy and unholy alliance; one we must become comfortable with breaking.
Ultimately, when we view America as a Christian Nation, we are associating our identity as the Church with our identity as Americans—an unhealthy and unholy alliance; one we must become comfortable with breaking.
When we view America as we should, as a nation on the earth just like the other 194 nations, then we can properly orient ourselves within as citizens of Heaven living in America. Having an appropriate view of our nation helps us orient ourselves properly. Having an appropriate view of our role within our nation helps us interact with our fellow man properly. And that is perhaps the fulcrum upon which this whole topic turns. When we view America wrong, we view our fellow man as potential enemies (did they vote for that evil being? Are they the ones who want to destroy our idealistic view of our nation?); when we view America properly, it allows us to see the people within correctly—people who are in darkness who need to see the light and love of Christ, and it is up to me to show them.
A proper view of our nation, a proper view of our role in it, and a proper view of our identity is the antidote. Our identity is in Christ, not in our geographical living point on this planet. Yet too many times we confuse our identity with our physical location (a phenomenon that is strangely unique to Americans). A healthy view of our role in society is vital if we are going to fulfill the Great Commission in our towns and villages.
We are heavenly citizens first, participants in the worldly kingdoms second.
Scripture gives us examples and direction on how to live amongst the earthly kingdoms in a God-honoring way. We see this in understanding ourselves as exiles and pilgrims, embracing the Scripture-defined manner in which to be a good earthly citizen, and having a beneficial understanding of what is healthy patriotism and what is harmful nationalism.
In part 2, I will discuss these three responses through the eyes of Scripture to enable us to respond to this dilemma with godly wisdom and Spirit-led instruction.
[1] https://www.christianheadlines.com/slideshows/what-is-the-biblical-significance-of-the-upcoming-solar-eclipse-8-christian-leaders-explain.html
[2] https://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/upcoming-total-solar-eclipse-brings-end-times-speculation.html
[3] https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/solar-eclipse-as-religious-experience/536823/
[4] https://www.elizabethton.com/2017/08/16/reader-says-aug-21-eclipse-could-be-prophetic-sign/
All above accessed at 11pm on May 23, 2022
[5] Twitter handle is @triggerX101
[6] https://sites.duke.edu/trigger101/2017/01/16/is-america-a-new-israel-or-a-new-babylon-knowing-the-difference-makes-all-of-the-difference/ Accessed May 31, 2022, 6:51pm
Revival America 