There is a lot of talk about making the United States a Christian nation. The obvious difficulty with this notion is that there are so many definitions of how a Christian nation would operate. Many believe putting the Ten Commandments in public classrooms would be a good start. Personally, I have significant doubt that the cause of Christ would be advanced by such a posting. Further, it causes me to pause and ask: if it’s a Christian nation we desire, shouldn’t we instead post the Beatitudes? The Law came through Moses. The Beatitudes came through Jesus.
Hear me: I hope we never mandate either the 10 Commandments or Beatitudes. To do so cheapens both and builds resistance. I tend to oppose what is forced upon me.
As Christians who are also citizens of the United States, what then can we do? Are there positive measures we can take that genuinely benefit both the nation and our Christian faith? I believe the answer resoundingly is, yes!
It is both an Old and New Testament idea that when pushed into exile, our faith finds footing. Most often in exile, our faith flourishes. It’s a hard way to thrive, but a proven way. Do we want our Christian faith to make a true difference in the lives of those around us? Of course. To that end, I offer the following:
Embrace our exile. Our nation is not now, nor has it ever been “Christian.” Yes, the influence of Christian faith is undeniable, but mixed in with those influences are other ideologies we’ve nationally embraced that run in opposition to our Christian faith (think about the years our nation embraced slavery, Jim Crow laws, segregation, unequal justice systems, etc.).
Allow our exile as believers to give us a steadier, stronger ability to advance the Gospel of Christ. When we speak from strength, our message can feel oppressive. When we speak from humility and weakness, Christ becomes our strength.
In exile, we are forced to confront our false idols of power. In the desert, Israel created a golden calf. We still do such things, only our idols are political parties or politicians. Our idols can be money and what it affords us. You get the idea. When we speak from the platform of exile, we are not haughty or forceful. We are gentle.
When we embrace the exile we are in as Christians, we gain a greater dependence upon God. This is almost impossible to do when we soap-box from the position of strength.
Finally, exile demands discipleship of us. Perhaps the most maddening component of Christians who speak from strength is that most often, they are undisciplined and unaware of the very faith they claim to uphold.
EMBRACE THE EXILE
–Joe