Greetings in the Name of the Lord, 

Although it is hard to know how widespread or truly influential something is just because it has appeared on social media, there has been a growing undercurrent around the notion of forming a “Christian Nation”. In fact, not too long ago someone in a quite powerful position suggested something along those lines.

Again, how serious that person was, or what kind of real-world impact statements like those have are hard to gauge, but it certainly got me thinking about what it might or could mean to be a “Christian Nation”.  Luckily, I think the gospels, particularly when placed within the context of the time they were written, have a lot of fruit to bear for exploring this topic.

So let us start with the context.  I know I talk about this a lot, but I think it is important stuff. Jesus lived in a world where a group, known as Zealots, were attempting to create (or rather re-create) a Jewish nation that would have mirrored the time of the Maccabees from 150  years prior.  For the Zealots the Roman Empire stood in their way. Every few years during this time frame a different Messiah would emerge. This self-proclaimed Messiah would work to pull together people to create an army that would overthrow the Roman occupation, this Messiah would point back to the prophets and the language of Israel as a promised land for the people of God. Each Messiah would rise and be summarily crushed by the Romans rather quickly. The people in Israel at the time that hoped for this Jewish nation would simply quickly acknowledge that the most recent Messiah claimant was clearly not the true Messiah and expectantly wait for the next one, readying themselves.

Jesus emerges into this world, and when he is asked if he is the true Messiah, people are wondering if he is the one to overthrow the roman occupation. The disciples seem to be caught up in this, no matter how many times Jesus tries to tell them otherwise.  On Palm Sunday, as he enters Jerusalem, many who were waving palms would have been thinking the overthrow of Rome was just days away.

But we know that Jesus’ story is different.  And more than that Jesus had a completely different narrative.  Instead of preaching about a Jewish Nation, Jesus preaches about the Kingdom of Heaven(or the Kingdom of God depending on the gospel account).  And here is the thing, Jesus is not talking about creating a new governmental system in the here and now, he is not speaking of creating a new Jewish nation, instead he is talking about a guiding vision, something that can only be a vision because it can not be obtained here on earth, it is only something God can truly oversee. The specific language of a Kingdom of Heaven, which could just as easily be translated to a Kingdom of the Sky, immediately implies it is a kingdom rooted somewhere other than on the surface of the earth. 

In many ways, Jesus was preaching against the idea of a Jewish nation (without explicitly preaching against a Jewish nation). Instead of advocating for a Jewish nation, Jesus was preaching about changing the way one lives, about changing the way one interacts with the people around them, and focusing on centering oneself in God, instead of on nationality or religion or ethnicity or social status. 

This is not to say that Jesus was a fan of Caesar and the Roman Empire. But Jesus was trying to preach that the way to overthrow the empire was not through nation building, or violent revolution, but rather around shifting priorities, finding ways to live God’s love into the world, trusting something beyond human authority. 

I think that Jesus understood the fallacy in believing that a Jewish nation would somehow be better than a Pagan one. I think this extends to the idea that somehow creating a “religious” nation is going to be more effective than a “secular” nation. Jesus understood that any human institution was only as good as the people in it, and as he looked at the pharisees, the very people that would have most likely been in charge, he still saw exclusion, he still saw greed, he still saw a draw to power, I think Jesus knew the pharisees would not be a whole lot better than the Herods when it came to running things. 

If I can be so bold, I think Jesus was really on to something, because human history has been witness to “Christian” nations before. Look to Europe, and most of those nations, for a long time, considered themselves “Christian” nations, and although those nations produced a lot of great things, they were not immune to war or colonization or slavery or persecuting the poor or blaming outsiders for their problems.  Christian nations really don’t look all that better than non-Christian nations, for all nations have produced great things, and all nations have also produced war and oppression, each in their own ways.  For example, Islamic nations have contributed to Math in profound ways, Chinese empires have added paper and compasses and gunpowder, Meso-American nations have contributed amazing feats of agriculture (the cultivation of Corn alone is world changing).  Nations produce both great and horrible things regardless of whether they are autocratic, theocratic or democratic.

Jesus intuitively knew this, and did not advocate for a Jewish nation, but instead advocated for a different way of being in the world, a different way of relating to nations. As Christians and followers of Christ, if we take this seriously, to advocate for a Christian nation is anathema to Jesus’ teaching. As Christians we have no business trying to advocate for a Christian nation. Instead, as Christians, it appears to me that we should be advocating for healthier communities, more just communities, healthier relationships, more generosity and forgiveness and love, all with boundaries of course, but, on the whole, advocating for more compassion in this world, more inclusion and ultimately more peace (which of course does not mean everyone always agrees, but rather that people find ways to respect diverse viewpoints, opinions and ways of life that do not harm others and the community as a whole).

In Jesus’ day, Jesus stood boldly against the notion of nation building, so much so that he allowed himself to be turned over to the very nation that he was supposed to rise up against and overthrow as the Messiah--a nation that eventually, it should be noted, embraced Christianity as it’s religion.  The frustrating thing about Jesus today, just as in his own time, is that Jesus’ Kingdom of Heaven is not something that changes things immediately, it is something that requires patience & persistence, something that requires enduring through some things that appear to stand in such contrast to its central message, something that requires holding onto something rather abstract and ultimately mysterious.  Looking at history though shows us Jesus’ way, the way of God, the way of Love, that it has in it an ability to presevere in ways that are so much more powerful and lasting than the kind of nation building that abounded and ultimately failed in Jesus’ time. So much so that Jesus’ Kingdom of Heaven is even capable of overcoming death.

In Peace, 

Mike