A Pastoral Letter on Christian Nationalism

Photo: Tissot, James, 1836-1902. Jesus Before Pilate, First Interview, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56679 [retrieved October 17, 2024].

Sorry to bother you all, but we need to talk about a problem called Christian Nationalism.
 
I get it, bringing up politics in church is frowned upon. I don't like it either: politicking can have Jesus’ people shouting at each other in mere seconds. Politics also gets labeled as worldly. Why talk about worldly things in the one place where we go for heavenly peace? Yet, here I am, dragging politics into church. I need to disturb the peace and write to you all about this as Election Day will be here soon. Christian Nationalism is indeed a problem.
 
Never heard of Christian Nationalism? That’s ok! Let me break down its core beliefs for you all. The first belief is that God has made the United States better than other nations. The second belief is that our country is founded on values from the Bible. Third, the church and government should be wrapped up in each other’s business. Finally, being an American and a Christian are one-in-the-same. The United States is God’s state.
 
A good place to start when dealing with Christian Nationalism is by reading John 18:33-38. Pontius Pilate interrogates Jesus in this passage. Verse 36 reads:
 
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here,’” (NRSVUE version).
 
Long ago in Roman times, the Jewish people longed for a king of their own. They wanted the mighty Roman Empire out of their lives. Some hoped Jesus would be that king. However, he turned down these earthly desires. Jesus once hid away when a crowd tried to make him king (John 6:1-15). Later on, he told folks to “‘Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s,’” (Mark 12:17).

Still, Jesus’ kingdom is quite revolutionary. Demons are driven out! The sick are healed! The hungry are full! The outsiders are brought inside! The authorities are shaken! This kingdom was more radical than folks had imagined.
 
Back to the Pilate story. Jesus replied: “‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice,’” (John 18:37b). He is a king, but not any average king. Jesus’ kingdom has no borders. Jesus’ kingdom is not limited to just one group of people. It’s not even limited by time!
 
Jesus had come to testify to the truth. It’s not a simple truth, like 1+1=2. Instead, the truth is that God is shown in him. He was soon going to show how far God’s love will go. Through Jesus, God truly knows people, and people truly know God. This was bigger than any rebel the Romans may have feared.
 
“What is truth?” replies Pilate, missing the point. The Romans crowned him with thorns. They gave him a cross instead of a throne. They even made a sign that said he was a king. This radical kingdom was just a pest to the Roman Empire.
 
Jesus' kingdom goes above all human ideas about government. His rule is over all creation. It’s both far out there and right there in the middle of your life. It comes to many folks, even people who live with some of the worst governments. It does not conquer peoples. Instead, it conquers sin and death.  It does not take taxes. Instead, it gives new life. No one person can say they have God’s glory and hold it over others. A nation can’t do that, either. Besides, Jesus’ glory was death on a cross. Are any of us ready to bear that?
 
Pilate would have made sense out of Christian Nationalism. It uses our faith as a tool for rulers to control people, take power, and get glory. The Romans really enjoyed control, power, and glory. That is still true of governments today. Nonetheless, Christian Nationalism’s core beliefs do not come from the teachings of Jesus, nor are they in line with the rest of the Bible.
 
Faith and civic life are two things I care about, but they are not the same. I am an American and strive to do my part as a citizen. However, far above being American, I am a Christian. Jesus believed I belonged in his kingdom and welcomed me in. If you are reading this, he believes you also belong and welcomes you into his kingdom, too! This Christian identity we have is on an entirely different level from any other identity. Governments come and go. Nations have expiration dates. Jesus’ kingdom does not. It is a deep insult to use Christian faith for the sake of national identity.
 
Sorry to upset the peace, my friends. I have talked about politics in church, and it probably will not be the last time. I wanted you all to hear about Christian Nationalism from me and not another pastor or even a talking head somewhere out on the internet. Christian Nationalism is causing problems for both our faith and civic life, and we need to speak up when it appears in our lives. Please understand, I am not telling you who to vote for.
 
This is not an easy topic. Are you still confused? Concerned? Upset? Not sure where to go from here? I would love to continue talking about the problem of Christian Nationalism with any of you. I am listening.

A Pastoral Letter on Christian Nationalism by Joshua Feala is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0