Are We Too In Love With A Nation?

Like most of America, I was in front of my TV on Tuesday night. As it became clear that Senator Obama was going to make history as the first minority president, I felt a mix of emotions. I was excited to witness this landmark moment yet slightly disappointed in the outcome because of the potential of certain policy implications. But I was not surprised by his victory. His campaign was near flawless, his strategy shrewd, and his speeches downright inspiring.

What was surprising was the reaction of so many Christians on Wednesday morning. I heard words like “anti-Christ” and “persecution” and “end times” thrown around so much you’d think we were living in a Tim LaHaye-Jerry Jenkins book. The kind of fear, panic, despair—even anger—I saw in some Christians post-elections is a tell-tale sign that they have put too much stock in a government, or even in a nation.

Is it possible to love a nation too much? Is it possible to love a nation so much that we’re confused about our identity?

Don't get me wrong. I love America. I would rather be here than in any other nation in the world. It is a truly beautiful, remarkable nation. So, let me explain. God’s master plan is, has been, and always will be to rescue and redeem all of humanity. His first vehicle was the nation of Israel. Through all of Israel’s difficulty and oppression, they often lost sight of that. In N. T. Wright’s words, Israel asked, “How is God going to rescue Israel?” But Jesus revealed that the question should be “How is God going to rescue the whole world through Israel and thereby rescue Israel itself as part of the process…?” God’s plan was always to rescue and redeem the whole world. That plan began with one nation.

When Jesus arrived, he showed that HE in himself would fulfill all that Israel could not and in himself rescue the whole world. From Jesus onward, God’s vehicle on earth is no longer a nation, but a New People from every nation—the Church.

Another way to say this is that the Church is to the New Testament era what Israel was to the Old Testament era. We know this. Or so we say. And then every time there is a prayer meeting for America, Christians reach for 2 Chronicles 7: 14, claiming that if we humble ourselves, God will hear from heaven and heal our land, i.e. America. Let me point out the faulty logic. If the phrase “My people” is a reference to the Church, then the phrase “their land” must also be a reference to the Church. After all, if you asked an Israelite of Solomon’s day who “My people” or “their land” referred to, they would say, to Israel. So, if we’re going to apply “My people” to the Church, then we must also apply “their land” to the Church and our spiritual inheritance. You can’t keep quoting Old Testament verses about Israel’s rulers and applying them to America. To say it bluntly, America is not the new Israel. St. Paul makes it abundantly clear that that designation belongs to the Church. Neither should we take phrases that were said about the Church and apply them to America. America is not called to be a city on a hill. Jesus said those words to HIS followers—HIS disciples, the men and women who would become the Church.

To me, the debate about whether or not the Founding Fathers were Christians or had intentions of founding a Christian nation is largely irrelevant. Has it occurred to you that even if the Founding Fathers intended to create a Christian nation, that they could have been wrong for trying? The Founding Fathers, after all, for all their faith or lack of it, are not the Holy Apostles of the Church. If their quest was to found a nation on Christian values, they might have been misguided in that quest since God no longer works through one nation.

The Kingdom of God is not advanced by geo-political nation states. The New People of God—the Holy Nation and Royal Priesthood St. Peter refers to 1 Peter 2:9—are no longer people of one particular race or nationality. We are men and women from every tribe and tongue. I wonder if it is to any Kingdom benefit who is in the White House. God does not think in nation-states; he sees individuals.

The Kingdom has been advanced by the Church regardless of what political state the nation was in. After all, as my wife reminded me on election night, for most of my childhood, I grew up in a nation where the Prime Minister was always a Muslim. And the Church in Malaysia rose to the challenge.

I cant’ say whether or not the end is really here. But to say that the end is near just because a leader is in office who doesn’t represent values many Christians hold dear is simply foolishness. By that gauge, the end was nearer in the A.D. 60s when Nero intensely persecuted Christians. We would do well to hear again St. Paul’s words to the Church in Philippi, suffering (most likely) under Nero’s rule:

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Phil. 3:20-21)

This is not Paul saying the world here and now doesn’t matter and I can’t wait to get out of here. This is Paul using Roman language (like “Lord” and “Savior”, designations Romans used for Caesar, and “citizenship”, which Philippians would have understood, having been colonized by Rome and granted Roman citizenship) to say the invasion of God’s Kingdom has begun. And His vehicle is not an empire or a nation; it is the Church.

We cannot be so in love with a nation that we miss the Kingdom—and the vehicle God has chosen to advance His Kingdom: us, the Church.

Comments

[David Works]

Hear! Hear!

David Works, 6th great-grandson, Thomas Jefferson

[Jordan Davis]

So true!! Greg I literally have been having this discussion for a month now - if we put that much hope and trust into one person - a HUMAN - then we as a people have strayed. The end of the world will come at some point, but it could come with a REP or a DEM in office and neither a President or other leader can protect and save our lives such as Christ can. GREAT article Glenn.

[Carl Holmes]

Well said. I have been reminding people of Proverbs 12:1, and what Titus has to say about leadership and how we are to bear up under it.

If Obama leads to more persecution or oppression for Christianity (which I doubt will be anything like under Nero) does the bible not remind us that we are more blessed when these things happen?

What Christians need is to do a deep study into the Character of God. If we truly say we are Christians, which means followers of Christ, why are we so worried?

[Jaime]

Furthermore, I cant recall a place in the Bible that encourages us to be fearful about possibly questionable authorities, policies and laws which may not align with our personal views, and even the end times!

[Aaron]

Grand slam, Glenn. I think this is the time and the moment for the Church to stop focusing on itself and start reaching the world and saving the lost. Perhaps this is the kick that the American Church needs to get going.

[Josh Hudnall]

Brilliant! I actually didnt expect to see only comments agreeing with you, but I loved this post. I feel like Christians want the government to be the Church, but in reality the Church needs to be the Church.

Ive heard it said, if the Church would do its job, Democrats would be out of one. I think thats true and I think it speaks, at least in part, to why Obama was elected. People (Christian and non) are tired of the poor, the orphans and the widows being neglected and Obama spoke to that, among other things. If the Church were doing its job, Obamas platform might not have seemed quite so appealing or necessary.

Like you said, Americans are not the People of God, the Church are the People of God.

P.S. Interesting point about 2 Chronicles 7: 14, I hadnt thought of it that way.

[Kendal Franks]

Not only were the Facebook/Twitter remarks evident that Christians can have too much invested in a nation, but they also showed a remarkable lack of love. While it may be shocking to some, Obama was fearfully and wonderfully made, and God has a plan for him. Of course most of us fundamentally disagree with a good amount of his policy; however, we still must try to love him. Praying for and blessing those who are most difficult to bless is a great exercise of the love muscle.

[Glenn Paauw]

Nice, Glenn. Very nice. Your perspective was not heard enough this election season, but it is very refreshing to hear them now. Interesting how in Acts, Peter finds connects the promise to bring blessing to the nations (Abraham) to the news of the risen Messiah. Then Paul connects the light to the Gentiles passage (the Servant, Israel) to the Jesus-followers sharing the gospel with Gentiles. So the renewed Israel takes up Israels original call: bring life and blessing to the nations. And youre right, this Jesus they proclaim is Lord and Savior, titles given to Caesar. A new nation. A new people. A new politics.

[Christopher Sayler]

Absolutely brilliant! I think your analysis is spot on. I love your use of NT Wright. I had a professor who used to say that the Christian should not be caught up in patriotism and motivated by such slogans as We Remember with reference to 9/11, but rather that we should be motivated by the remembrance of the cross and resurrection of Christ. That is what we remember. We are not motivated out of fear of economic conditions or terrorist attacks, but we are motivated to pursue the Kingdom of God. Great thoughts.

[Glenn Packiam]

to david: :) youre the man!

to jordan: so true, my friend. there is no other messiah than Jesus...every other man will fail us. tell gregg i get all my best ideas from him! :)

to carl: i fully agree. the worry and fear in christians is concerning. as pastor brady said in his blog, this can be the churchs finest hour.

to jaime: so true. when is fear ever the right response, except to God?

to aaron: thanks....and lets hope so!

to josh: believe me, im as shocked as you are that so far all agree. a good sign of changes in the attitude of believers. bro...its good to hear from you. miss seeing you around.

to kendall: excellent point about love. we are told clearly to judge those inside the church and leave the judgement of those outside the church to God. yet we insist on name-calling our friends of a different political persuasion.

to glenn: so good to hear from you. great insight into peter and paul helping us how to read the fulfillment of the mission of God in OT.

[Chris Hoffman]

This is great Glenn. Thanks for posting this. I was very disappointed in a lot of my Christian friends response to this election, and Facebook status updates after Obamas acceptance speech were even more disheartening. We need to focus first and foremost on living out our Christian ideals in our churches and in our own lives instead of freaking out about a secular nation failing to uphold our ideologies. Great article.

[Terra Fisk]

Spot on post, Glenn!

My concern is not so much the man or his policies, but the worlds response to him. More then just the people in our nation are looking to him to bring peace and prosperity to the world. This response gives me cause to soberly reflect on these events and where things may be headed, not out of fear, but simply out of awareness.

[Holly]

How could they have been wrong for trying? If they had not done so the USA would not be a place were we could freely worship God. Does that make them any less important than the Holy Apostles of the Church?

[Carol Prentiss]

Hey Glenn,
Thanks for posting your thoughts. Instead of guessing, lets look at the original Hebrew words. 2 Chron. 7:14--People means a congregated unit, a tribe(as those of Israel), troops, attendants, a flock, men, nation. Land means the earth (at large or partitively), common, country, earth, field, ground, land, nations. It does not mean soil but a geographic location. So I think its meaning anywhere Gods people are gathered at any geographical location. So it can refer to a nation still. That is not excluded. God still wants to heal nations. This word for people is not the Hebrew word for individual people. An example would be Gods people in Colorado Springs praying for their city or even just for a certain school.
Of course God has worked through America to be a light and help to other countries and to be a blessing to Israel. America is not called to be a city on a hill but it can be. Why would we want to prevent that? Look at the story found in Mark 9--Whoever is not against us is for us. Jesus said not to stop anyone doing good, just because they dont fit our mold, including nations. And America is not Israel because Israel is Israel. I agree that the church is a type of Israel now. And Gods plan actually began before Israel ever existed.
I dont think anyone is ever wrong for trying to promote Christianity, to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel. We shouldnt judge other Christians methods whether that be rock music, politics or founding a nation. Has it occurred to you that even if the Founding Fathers intended to create a Christian nation, that they could have been wrong for trying? They werent wrong. I totally disagree on that. I cant judge how God was leading them to be a light. And God can work through anything and anyone He wants to including donkeys, pharaohs and nations. Yes, I agree that the church is now the main vehicle but not the only one. God wont be put in a box.
I cant judge my fellow Christians hearts as far as whether they are fearful or angry. I can only judge their actions. If one of my brothers seems afraid I should comfort him. All Christians do need one type of fear and thats the fear of God. Its the beginning of wisdom. The words Jesus speaks to the Church in Revelation are encouraging but mainly they are sobering admonitions and this is the NT not the OT. Jesus says to not watch the signs of the times is foolish too. Of course we dont worship a nation or any man but that doesnt mean I dont care about the course of America and other nations or that Im not grateful to God for the country I live in and its heritage. Sure I would be disappointed to see America as a nation turn its back on God. I think God would be saddened too. Well brother, I care about you and the church and thats why Im writing. I see where youre coming from, I just wanted to add this perspective. God bless you.

[Glenn Packiam]

to hoff: great point about not freaking out when a secular nation fails to uphold our ideologies...how about focusing on us upholding our own ideologies, eh? and remember, dont hassle the HOFF!

to terra: you are right...it is not good that so many have put so much hope in this man...almost as a messiah figure. then again, thats what we humans do-- look for a king!

to holly: first off, i mean they might have been wrong for trying to make a Christian nation because it serves no Kingdom purpose for there to be a Christian nation...that isnt Gods goal on earth. Hes not out to Christianize nations...He wants to redeem humans. Also, you might be mistaken in thinking that religious freedom can only be the result of the founders trying to create a Christian nation. there are many nations in the world that have religious freedom without having been founded as a Christian nation. Even in Malaysia, an admitted Muslim nation, there is religious freedom-- the freedom to worship God. I grew up going to a megachurch in a so called Muslim country. it is faulty logic to assume that you cant have religious freedom in a secular nation. most of the continent of Europe repudiates that line of thinking.

[Glenn Packiam]

to carol: thanks for sharing. i recognize that many christians share your point of view. in fact, i expected to be in minority.

thanks also for the hebrew words, though im not sure they shed any additional light. i took two years of hebrew in college and am familiar with the language. the point is not haggling over the words. contextually, 2 chron 7:14 took place in solomons dedication of the temple, an act symbolic of israel re-committing to serve God as the theocratic monarchy that they were. as you said, america is not that. we are not the new israel nor are we a theocratic monarchy. of course we can and should pray for God to bless people-- not just individuals, but groups. we should even pray for government leader. the NT explicitly says that. what i am objecting to is claiming 2 chron 7:14 as a promise that if the church humbles themselves, God will heal America. the two are not linked by that verse. God will heal America as the Church does her job in leading people to Christ, not as we storm the ballot box to elect a Christian.

I dont honestly believe i can persuade you. neither do i think i need to. you are entitled to your point of view. this, of course, is not an issue of core orthodoxy. but in the spirit of dialogue, here are a few things to consider:

1. in Jesuss day there were plenty of Jewish groups who wanted to overthrow the secular, godless government that was oppressing Gods people-- much in the way so many Christians want to overthrow supreme court judges, presidents, senators, etc. one such group was the zealots.

2. Jesus repeatedly refused to allign himself with the zealots or any other political groups. in fact, in general, Jesus shunned any attempt to use power to coerce people into believing...even the poiwer of miracles. the temptation in the wilderness is a prime example of Jesus exercising the miracle of restraint in not doing miracles to take a short-cut to power. and when he did heal, he told them to be quiet and not tell anyone. when he had his largest crowd (john 6) and they were ready to crown him king, he tried to hide from them and then preached his most offensive sermon: the one about eating his flesh and drinking his blood-- ridiculously offensive to a Jew who was raised to believe that the life was in the blood and was therefore sacred.

3. Jesus taught on Kingdom more than any other subject. Yet no where-- no where-- in His teahing on Kingdom does he mention our interaction with Rome other than to pay our taxes. (ironic that this is the one thing right-wing evangelicals detest!)

4. Jesus never seemed concerned about who the next Caesar was going to be-- a point Philip Yancey makes in The Jesus I Never Knew. He never instructe his disiples to pray for the next Caesar so that he would be godly.

you said who are we to question what God will or wont use. i say, its not a matter of questioning what God will or wont use. its a matter of making ourselves useful to God in the manner He has laid out for us: not the route of power and political office, but love and sacrificial service.

the way of the Kingdom-- according to Jesus-- is not the way of power, politics, and influence. it is the way of the cross: love, death, and service.

bless you, carol. i sincerely dont mean to be offensive. and if you arent not persuaded, it will not bother me. we are still connected in the Body of Christ.

[Alex Pappalardo]

I enjoy a bit of perspective; thanks for the post Glenn.

Personally, I hold very little vested interest in the country beyond my sphere of control (voting and staying informed) and not much more in the politics of the nation. As a military member I have sworn to defend the constitution with my life, a fairly weighty oath, but at the same time, it all fails to compare to Gods Kingdom, His love for every one of us, Jesus sacrifice so that we may live, and life as a whole.

Even if America burned to the ground, we would still be the Church, we still might have our lives and we would always have God (and He would always have us). When one looks at things that way, who the President is may still be important, but it is certainly nothing to get worked up over or to worry about. Gods got a handle on things no matter what is going on.

[Carol Prentiss]

Thanks Glenn. No offense taken. Youre still my brother. My only question is this: If God called a Christian to start a new nation, what principles should he found it on? Heathen, Christian, Islamic, Atheist? If God called me to do that I could not found a nation on anything other than Christian principles.

[Glenn Packiam]

to carol: i fully agree with you, believe it or not. if you are founding a business, an organization or even a nation, you SHOULD use Christian PRINCIPLES. i think you might have misunderstood me in this. im not saying Christian principles shouldnt be used. im saying the goal is not to make a Christian nation. to me, there is a huge difference. i dont know whether the founding fathers were trying to simply use Christian ideas as a basis for their decisions or if they were actually trying to make a Christian nation-- but my point is that it doesnt matter because in my view our goal should not be to make America a Christian nation. we want PEOPLE who are Christian, not one nation that is....again, because Gods vehicle is not a nation, it is the Church-- the New People of God. but simply using Christian principles doesnt make something Christian. loads of business function on beliefs that had Christian roots-- much of the industrial revolution owes its roots to the protestant work ethic Calvin instilled by urging Christians to do all to the glory of God. that does not make those business Christian. also, Christian principles is not the same as saying Christian morality-- christian morality would be quite a bit like trying to make a Christian nation....which i believe is a misguided goal. make sense?

[Emily]

Glenn, I do see your point that our trust cannot be in a system or a government or a man to change our nation. Jesus Christ is the one who redeems us and our trust must be wholly in Him. But I don’t understand why you wouldn’t be more saddened by the state of affairs and what has led to the election of a president who is not for life. Jesus teaches us to love and care for the least of these…those who cannot help themselves. If I don’t try to make a difference in my country by voting for a president who will protect the innocent, I will have to answer to God. I can’t close my eyes and ignore all the children who have not been given a chance at life because of our corrupt leaders. I have never had an abortion, but if I vote for a man who will try to undo any legislation protecting the lives of the unborn, I am guilty. I believe we are guilty as a nation. I do not believe government is the answer. Jesus is the answer and we must be Jesus to those around us in darkness. But we must all do our part as Christians – as followers of Christ. We must try to do the right thing in every area of our lives and take a stand for righteousness. We all fall short, but we cannot excuse or condone sin. I am saddened because I don’t believe the moral man won here. And you may say neither of the candidates are moral or Christian men. But one stands for justice and righteousness on the issue of LIFE. The other candidate does not. I have to extend my beliefs into the political arena as a citizen of this country. And part of those beliefs involves the sanctity of human life -that we are created in the image of God. He loves us and wants us to love others in turn. We must defend the innocent in any way that we can. I am very passionate about this issue. I know it’s not the only issue, but it’s the only one that really matters.

[Rob Brock]

Excellent thoughts, Glenn. We do the Kingdom of God a disservice if we allow our response to the election to drive away people that we ought to be reaching with the love of God. If the world perceives the church as merely an extension of a political party, then they will dismiss our message of hope without a second thought. We need to transcend partisan politics and allow God to use us to transform this world one life at a time.

[Glenn Packiam]

to emily:

i am saddened that a very non-pro-life person is in the white house. please understand that i wasnt saying we shouldnt be sad. i was responding to the reactions of people calling him the anti-christ and saying that the end of the world is now imminent. let me clarify a few things:

1. our goal as the church is not first to change laws.
think about all the laws we have that still dont prevent people from breaking them. (cocaine is illegal, but people find a way. murder is illegal, but as we at new life know, homicide still happens.) laws are good, but the churchs first goal is to redeem hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit and the message of the Gospel.

2. having said that, abortion is a special situation because-- like slavery of old-- it involves defending those who cant defend themselves. so, i am all for attempting political reform just as william wilberforce did for slavery in england. the danger is when we try to change laws in other arenas just for the sake of implementing christian values in a secular society. again, abortion is a special situation precisely because it involves defending those who cant defend themselves.

3. the beauty of democracy is that you are being asked for your opinion...so you SHOULD vote your opinion. im not at all saying that you shouldnt. i am saying that that is our civic duty, but our duty as christians supercedes and should be given more weight than our civic duty.

my point is that the great dispondency of so many christians might be an indication that we have put too much stock in a natio or political reform. political reform was not Jesuss goal, nor of in in the NT. in fact, for the first 300 years, Christianity flourished in a secular, anti-Christian empire. we act like all is lost when a democrat gets in office. thats a sign weve lost perspective.

thanks for writing. please keep defending the unborn!

[Joseph]

Glenn, I love this line of reasoning! I have expressed similar sentiments on my blog. My disagreement with the Christian that has made electing a president primarily an issue of abortion, is that they fail to recognize that a law on the books does change a persons will or heart. Abortion, whether done legally or illegally still affects the aborted child more than it does anyone else. It may well be that you and I see this perspective primarily because we share the common background of being born in foreign countries, and having experienced ungodly leaders, recognize that more than legislation, it is the proper response of a praying church that makes the difference, rather than a church that becomes polarized by dwelling on what we are against more than what we are for.

[Josh Hudnall]

Let me set this up, Im the first born child after my mother had four abortions. After finding Jesus, my mom became one of the foremost leaders for the pro-life movement both in Houston and nationally for many years. Ive been closer to real, in-the-flesh aborted babies than 99.9% of americans so I know and feel the issue deeply. Please understand, Im not trying to boast, just provide insight into my line of reasoning.

With that said, I have to disagree with the sentiment that abortion is the only issue that matters.

When we look at the government through the lens that Glenn has put forward we have to ask ourselves, what is the governments role?. Is it to legislate morality and Christian values or is it to provide logistical support for the running of a nation.

The role of our government is to ensure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and I think we could extend that to say and the pursuit of my beliefs. The role of the government is not to dictate religion, but to protect it.

So if the government must protect life it must protect all life. This is why the issue of abortion is important. As Glenn said, we must protect those who cant protect themselves. But babies are not the only ones who need protection. The homeless need shelter, the poor need the opportunity to work, battered wives need protection from abusive husbands... the list goes on. We cannot neglect one issue for another. We HAVE to fight for life, but we cant ignore the other issues. This includes the environment.

Lets be honest, democrats have done a far better job of championing the environment than even Christians. In fact many Christians do not even worry about the environment. I wont go into my thoughts on why this is, but I will say it is wrong. The government does need to put standards in place that will protect the environment, because businesses wont do it on their own. Speaking of business, we live in unstable economic times.

Our government is here to ensure that we survive financially. Let me emphasize, Im not talking about the bailout or anything like that. Im saying the role of our government is to ensure that trade continues, that our economy is strong and that the dollar is worth something in the rest of the world.

I could talk about a hundred different issues that cannot be ignored, but it doesnt matter. The point is this. Abortion is an issue of supreme importance and I would not ignore it, but we cannot ignore other issues either. In fact it can be detrimental to vote for a single issue. It can create a situation where we may win the battle, but lose the war. I had hoped for a Giuliani ticket because I thought he could have won. I dont agree with all of his issues, notably his stance on abortion, but I dont agree with Obamas either. Which is better?

Im going to shut up now. :-)

Josh

[Kevin Kroondyk]

Yes and Amen...I wish I could have spoken these words after our class on Thursday watching the truth project video. I tried to communicate this, but you did a much better job with words. Thanks Glenn.