A Virtual Church

Let's talk about Christian Nationalism

16 minutes ago

As a pastor, I have shied away from talking about the movement called Christian Nationalism that has hijacked the Church, infused hate, dismissed traditional Christian values, and forgotten the mandate to love your neighbor as yourself.

A movement that grows on the seedbed of hating your enemy, killing and deporting the immigrant, starving your own citizens by cutting food programs like SNAP, is not Christian. We don’t hear any of the devout MAGAs talking about living the life of Jesus through acts of sacrificial giving, charity, hospitality, gratitude, and love like Jesus called us to love.

Christianity is an incarnational faith. Jesus is God Incarnate. We incarnate Jesus. As Paul says, “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.” We are called to live as Christ lived and love as Christ loved. The very people whom Christ elevated were the marginalized, the poor, the strangers in a foreign land, widows and children.

Jesus would be aghast at how his whole life story has been corrupted.

 Allegiance to Donald Trump is blasphemy. He is flawed like no other president we’ve ever had. Nixon came the closest and he resigned over his Watergate debacle.

Nixon had a Congress that held him to account. Neither Mike Johnson nor enough in our Congress are strong enough or morally centered enough to do that. Even those exiting congress are keeping their remarks on the safe side.

The adage, “politicians spend more time keeping their jobs than doing them,” is living itself out before our very eyes.

We are participants in a sad American story. People have forsaken American values, American pride, and the dream that America that has always been. And for what?

Donald Trump is a cancer destroying America. He is getting richer. He acts with impunity. His bullying is legend. His sycophants have sold their souls for him. He has never done anything for anybody when he did not expect to get something back. He is 100% transactional in his dealings. Trump wants all the cards, all the time, winning every hand, adoring fans cheering his every move.

He is like a toddler going potty, expecting his parents to cheer his performance.

Lazy patriotism is like lazy discipleship. The fruit it bears shrivels and rots.

This administration is like a rewrite of Peter, Paul and Mary’s song, “Where have all the patriots gone, long time passing.” Time once lived will not come again. Time keeps on “ticking, ticking, ticking into the future.”

Nobody knows if our Democracy can ever be fully restored. We have never been a perfect people, but we have always striven for that more perfect union.

Institutions, like the church and the government, need tending by faithful, careful, thoughtful people who incarnate the values that have been handed down for centuries.

Churches split over stupid things, like slavery and homosexuality. Our country has been split once, in the Civil War. We are possibly on the verge of another split – into the Red and the Blue.

There are no winners in war. War is expensive. There are always unforeseen consequences. Both winners and losers come home shattered, broken, and defeated. War is a great price to pay.

Wrapping our arms around the American flag does not make us great. Nor does it make us Christian.

In church this morning, we heard a young preacher speak from Esther, Chapter 4. The king is ruthless and will strike dead all who speak without being called upon. Mordecai calls upon Queen Esther to talk to her husband on behalf of her people, the Jews. Mordecai calls forth bold action for “such a time as this.” Mordecai recognizes what Captain Jack Sparrow called the “opportune moment.”

We are in an opportune moment when truth must be told to power. This is no time for cowards. This is the time to turn over tables and get loud in a righteousness that calls us to right living with God, with one another, and with all creation. Now is our moment.

America was founded on the hope of freedom of religion. Believe what you believe. You are free not to believe anything. We are one people under God with liberty and justice for all.

That all means ALL.

Lib Campbell is a retired Methodist pastor, retreat leader, columnist, and host of the blogsite Avirtualchurch.com. She can be contacted at libcam05@gmail.com. 

 

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