I told my wife this morning I’m changing my name. My new name is Mother Teresa. I’d like to be known for my good works and my new name saves me the hassel of actually having to do anything.
So… Mother Teresa Allen Hicks. It rings!
A Christian Nation. Really?
The far right likes to say The United States of America was founded by Christians who were guided by their devout faith in the Almighty. Because of this God blessed their efforts. Thus God blessed America. In other words, He personally intervened in human history to make us a great Nation because He was pleased by what He saw. The far religious right asserts nearly every modern American problem, catastrophe or disaster is the result of our steady drift from Christianity. They say unless we return to those things which made us great we are doomed. I’m not so sure.
Speaking for myself- I’m developing the nagging conviction that returning to the principles which guided the patriotic fathers will simply make things worse. Yes, I believe the Pilgrims came here to pursue freedom of religion- which for them meant the freedom to live out their particular version of Christianity. Yet when their descendants heaved tea into Boston Harbor was it for the purpose of pursuing freedom for their brand of Christianity? Or founding a Christian nation? Or were they simply fed up with unfair taxes and the like?
I’m coming to believe if I lived back then, with the same conviction I have today, I could not have participated in the Revolution. Not because I think war is necessarily immoral, but because I do know that rebellion is. In fact The Old Testament compares rebellion to the sin of witchcraft. Which few would deny is pure evil. A few years ago it was popular to ask, What would Jesus do? So, what would Jesus have done? Would he have thrown someone else’s property into Boston Harbor or would he have rendered unto King George the Third the things of King George the Third? No matter how unreasonable King George the Third was or wasn’t in demanding “his” things. And by the way ol’ King George seems mighty tame compared to the tyrants first century Christians were commanded to honor. Fortunately, for those early believers Jesus Himself had shown them how to live a life of faith under a system of government which was less than benevolent towards them.
Peter said, Submit yourself for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by Him… He also said, honor the king.
Paul said, Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are from God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God: and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
I struggle to understand how it’s reasoned our nation was founded on biblical principles when these Holy Scriptures were clearly ignored. It seems more accurate to reason our nation was born from a spirit of rebellion. Which is equal to witchcraft. Which is evil. The far right, moral majority etc. claim our lack of national Christian morality is why so many things are not going our way. God has withdrawn His blessing. I think there is an element of truth somewhere in that thinking. However, could it be we are also experiencing the condemnation Paul spoke of because the patriotic fathers resisted the authority of the British Crown. Which means they opposed (rebelled against) the ordinance of God?
I love the United States of America. It hurts my heart to believe the national journey we are all on together will end in disaster. As I believe it will. However, restoring the America of yesteryear will do nothing to prevent this from happening. Attempting to legislate the America of yesteryear back into existence will also fail. This is because the America of yesteryear was forged in the unholy fires of rebellion and resistance. Will those positions really help us today? Or is the way ahead found in service and submission? Even when our particular master is unreasonable.
Jesus submitted to death. Peter submitted to death. Paul submitted to death. Thousands upon thousands of Christians submitted to death. And not one of those deaths was fair or just. I pray for the humble courage to cast my lot with them. Their submission changed the world in a way the United States will never match.
There's something about that Name! 