Six years ago, we all began to feel G.o.d calling us to move out of the suburbs into the city. We now live on the same city street within a couple blocks of each other. Until a decade and a half ago, I dreamed of living far out in the country, on the top of a mountain, or in an isolated cabin in the middle of a deep forest. I now find myself living in the middle of a densely populated city surrounded by an amazing diversity of people-and I love it!
As a result of our new proximity, our level of interdependence increased even more. We now share everything from cars and shovels to salt, salad dressing, and even showers (we all live in older houses where things don"t always work).
Our new location has also opened up new ministry opportunities. For example, we now partner with a nonprofit social-service agency that serves elderly and mentally disabled shut-ins in the inner city. As needs arise, we get together to repair homes, mow lawns, shovel snow, buy groceries, lead Bible studies, or just hang out with these dear people. You get the picture.
This alleged autistic-tending loner has discovered the profound beauty of deeply committed relationships, and I"ve discovered that this this is how life is meant to be lived-regardless of how introverted a person might be. is how life is meant to be lived-regardless of how introverted a person might be.
Now, don"t get me wrong; I still need a lot of time in my cave. My friends accept this. Half the time while we"re on vacation, they are out doing stuff while I hang back, read, write, and just think. I"ve learned that being in community doesn"t threaten my individuality. To the contrary, it enhances it.
Everyone in our group has eccentricities that the others accept and make good-natured fun of. It"s these very differences, working together, that make our group interesting and, with work, beautiful.
G.o.d created each of us unique. But this uniqueness was meant to be woven into the tapestry of community. We are made in the image of the triune G.o.d, whose essence is a loving community. We are created for community. This is how Jesus lived, and it"s how his followers are called to live.
THE IDOL OF INDIVIDUALISM.
In chapter 1 we noted that the world is oppressed by fallen Powers that influence human culture in ways contrary to G.o.d"s will. One primary way the Powers operate in modern Western culture is by promoting an ideology of "rugged individualism," which runs directly counter to G.o.d"s will for us to live in community. We place unprecedented stress on our individual freedoms and rights. While people in traditional cultures tend to define themselves by their ties to a particular community, modern westerners tend to define themselves apart apart from ties to a particular community-"over and against" others instead of "in relation" to others. from ties to a particular community-"over and against" others instead of "in relation" to others.
This tendency toward individualism has been greatly intensified by the hedonistic consumer culture we"ve created over the last century. We tend to measure our worth by what we are able to purchase. This in turn conditions us to make striving after things-pursuing "the American dream"-a higher priority than cultivating deep, committed relationships. Meaningful relationships take time, and that is something people indoctrinated into the consumer mindset never feel like they have.
On top of this, the wealth of options our consumer culture offers conditions us to expect to have things our way. This also undermines our desire and capacity for deep, meaningful relationships, for this type of relationship requires that we be willing to sometimes forgo our preferences and put up with things we don"t care for.
When you combine our relationship-eroding consumerism with our stress on individual freedoms and rights, you can understand why most westerners have many acquaintances but few (if any) deeply committed relationships that echo the beautiful love of the triune G.o.d.
In his marvelous little book The Great Divorce The Great Divorce, C. S. Lewis envisioned h.e.l.l as a realm in which people are forever moving farther away from one another. h.e.l.l is the ultimate, cosmic, suburban sprawl. It"s a vision of h.e.l.l that is becoming a reality in Western culture, and it"s something Kingdom people in the West are called to pa.s.sionately revolt against.
WHAT NIGERIANS HAVE THAT AMERICANS LACK.
In the West we are brainwashed into thinking that clinging to our personal rights and freedoms, while striving after things, is our ticket to happiness. In reality, it"s making us miserable.
Several studies have revealed that, statistically speaking, America has one of the highest rates of depression (and other mental health disorders) in the world. On the other hand, these mental health studies suggest that Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of depression. 2 2 Despite the fact that the average standard of living in America is roughly four times that of Nigeria, and despite the fact that Nigeria is a country with a mult.i.tude of social problems-including dehumanizing poverty, a serious AIDS epidemic, and ongoing civil strife-Nigeria has far less depression, per capita, than America. Despite the fact that the average standard of living in America is roughly four times that of Nigeria, and despite the fact that Nigeria is a country with a mult.i.tude of social problems-including dehumanizing poverty, a serious AIDS epidemic, and ongoing civil strife-Nigeria has far less depression, per capita, than America.
What do Nigerians have that Americans lack?
Judging from the Nigerians I know, I"m convinced the main thing is a sense of community. Nigerians generally know they need one another. They don"t have the luxury of trying to do life solo, even if they had the inclination to do so. Consequently, Nigerians tend to have a sense of belonging that most Americans lack, and this provides them with a sense of general satisfaction in life, despite the hardships they endure.
Many studies have shown that personal happiness is more closely a.s.sociated with one"s depth of relationships and the amount one invests in others than it is with the comforts one "enjoys." And this is exactly what we"d expect given that we"re created in the image of a G.o.d whose very nature is communal. It"s against our nature to be isolated. It makes us miserable, dehumanizes us, and ultimately destroys us.
A "ONE-ANOTHER" COMMUNITY Jesus revolted against the Powers that fragment relationships by modeling what communal life under the reign of G.o.d looks like. Though he was the Son of G.o.d, he didn"t try to "go solo" in his life and ministry. He had a network of friends, like Mary and Martha, he could rely on when he traveled. He banded with a group of twelve disciples who traveled and ministered with him. And he chose three people (Peter, James, and John) to form his most intimate circle of friends. His life manifested the truth that where G.o.d reigns, individuals will be united together in close-knit communities.
The earliest Christians understood this. They met regularly as a large group in the temple courts, hearing and studying "the apostles" teaching" and enjoying fellowship with one another. But they also met in smaller groups inside each other"s homes on a daily basis where they shared meals and prayed together.
These earliest disciples shared everything they owned with one another so that no one in their community was in need. In a culture that had no social "safety nets," this was an aspect of the early Church that made it attractive to outsiders.
House gatherings were the primary social unit of the Jesus revolution for the first three centuries. When Paul addresses a letter to "the church" at a certain location, we mustn"t think there was a large church building located in that region in which all the Christians congregated. Buildings specially designed to be churches didn"t exist until Christianity was legalized and began to attract prestigious and powerful people in the fourth century. When Paul addresses "the church" at a certain location, he"s addressing a body of disciples who gathered in various privately owned houses scattered throughout the city. His letter would be read in one house church, then copied and pa.s.sed on to other house gatherings.
Many of the New Testament"s teachings about how Christians are to relate to one another only make sense when we understand them in a small house-church context. For example, the New Testament commands us to submit to one another, confess sins to one another, encourage one another, serve one another, and hold one another accountable. How can we authentically do this unless we"re in intimate relationships with one another? These aren"t the kinds of things you can do by meeting in a large building once a week with people you hardly know.
THE INVENTION OF MCCHURCH.
This isn"t to say there"s anything inherently unbiblical about larger Kingdom gatherings. The book of Acts suggests the earliest Christians met in larger groups when they could. I myself pastor a church that holds weekend services attended by a couple thousand people, and it accomplishes some good things. But by New Testament standards, large group meetings-the typical American church model-are not adequate.
Among other shortcomings, the large-group, weekend-event model of church fails to confront the individualism we"re in bondage to. In fact, if we"re not careful, the weekend-event model of church can actually pander to our individualism.
Think about it. Once a week we go to to church (a religious building) rather than seeing ourselves church (a religious building) rather than seeing ourselves as as the church. As good consumers we typically choose our church based on our own preferences, conveniences, and needs. Since we"re conditioned to a.s.sume that "the customer is always right," we believe we have the right to have things our way. If one church fails to please us we simply shop for another that will. Since there are only so many of us religious consumers to go around, churches have to compete with one another to acquire and keep as many consumers as possible. This, of course, puts pressure on pastors to sweeten the religious product they"re peddling by adding as many blessings as possible to their messages and by refraining from saying or doing anything that might drive consumers away. the church. As good consumers we typically choose our church based on our own preferences, conveniences, and needs. Since we"re conditioned to a.s.sume that "the customer is always right," we believe we have the right to have things our way. If one church fails to please us we simply shop for another that will. Since there are only so many of us religious consumers to go around, churches have to compete with one another to acquire and keep as many consumers as possible. This, of course, puts pressure on pastors to sweeten the religious product they"re peddling by adding as many blessings as possible to their messages and by refraining from saying or doing anything that might drive consumers away.
Welcome to McChurch, where you get served up a Gospel tailor-made to suit your personal tastes and needs and that never confronts you or causes you any discomfort.
McChurch not only fails to confront the idols and pagan values of Western culture, it often "Christianizes" them. Not only do we not have to give up our possessions, as Jesus commands; we"re told that following Jesus ensures that we"ll get more more of them! Not only do we not have to love and serve our enemies, as Jesus commands; we"re told that G.o.d is on our side when we applaud our nation bombing them! of them! Not only do we not have to love and serve our enemies, as Jesus commands; we"re told that G.o.d is on our side when we applaud our nation bombing them!
If you"re looking for an explanation as to why studies confirm there"s hardly any difference in Western countries between churchgoers and non-churchgoers in terms of the core values we embrace, I suggest you"ve just found it.
GROWING TOGETHER IN CHRIST.
Against the theology and practices of McChurch, Kingdom people are called to live and minister in community with others. We cannot hope to manifest the Kingdom if we are doing life "solo."
The Bible says we are all members of the body of Christ. A member of our physical body that becomes detached stops growing and becomes useless. So too, we can only grow and reach our full potential in the Kingdom if we remain attached to the body of Christ. The Kingdom suffers, and we suffer, when we try to do life solo.
We all need people we are committed to loving and serving and who are committed to loving and serving us. We all need people who are close enough to us to notice when we"re discouraged and who care enough to take time to encourage us. We all need people who can spot areas of weakness in our life and care enough to confront us in love. We all need people who can notice when we"re going astray and who care enough to hold on to us. We all need a community that helps us revolt against those dominant aspects of our culture that are inconsistent with the Kingdom life. And all of us-even quasi-autistic loners like me-need a community with whom we can share the joys, sorrows, victories, and defeats of ordinary life. It"s essential for our wholeness and Kingdom effectiveness, and it"s essential if we are to reflect the communal love of the triune G.o.d in our life.
Close-knit, loving, mutually submitted, and mutually accountable relationships-these are the primary context in which G.o.d transforms us and uses us to transform the world. If we can think of the Kingdom as a spiritual army (which it is is), then we"d say the commander has decided that small platoons are the primary place where soldiers are to be equipped for battle and the primary unit he uses to engage in battle.
In the process of belonging to and fighting within a platoon, we learn how to manifest the beauty of the communal Kingdom while revolting against the destructive individualism of our culture and the Powers that fuel it. In community, the beautiful revolution advances.
Viva la revolution!
CHAPTER 7.
THE REVOLT REVOLT.
AGAINST NATIONALISM NATIONALISM.
Our citizenship is in heaven.
PHILIPPIANS 3:20.
Nationalism is an infantile disease.
It is the measles of mankind.
ALBERT EINSTEIN.
WASHING OSAMA"S FEET A friend of mine hired artist Lars Justinen to paint the picture on the previous page to use on posters advertising a conference on the character of G.o.d that he was hosting. 1 1 He had contracts with several malls to hang these advertis.e.m.e.nts. Almost immediately after hanging the posters, however, the malls began to be flooded with angry calls-mostly from Christians-demanding they be taken down. They were outraged at the image of Jesus washing Osama Bin Laden"s feet. So strong was the outcry that the malls decided they had to cancel their contracts and take down the posters. The Christian college that was renting s.p.a.ce to my friend rescinded its contract as well. He had contracts with several malls to hang these advertis.e.m.e.nts. Almost immediately after hanging the posters, however, the malls began to be flooded with angry calls-mostly from Christians-demanding they be taken down. They were outraged at the image of Jesus washing Osama Bin Laden"s feet. So strong was the outcry that the malls decided they had to cancel their contracts and take down the posters. The Christian college that was renting s.p.a.ce to my friend rescinded its contract as well.
Apparently, the protesters believe that Jesus would not not wash Osama Bin Laden"s feet. And why would they think this? Presumably, it"s because these protesters a.s.sume that any enemy of America is an enemy of Jesus and that Jesus would not wash the feet of his (and therefore America"s) enemies. wash Osama Bin Laden"s feet. And why would they think this? Presumably, it"s because these protesters a.s.sume that any enemy of America is an enemy of Jesus and that Jesus would not wash the feet of his (and therefore America"s) enemies.
It"s a curious belief. If Jesus was willing to suffer a h.e.l.lish death on behalf of Bin Laden, how can we imagine he"d balk at washing his feet?
This episode reveals the extent to which many American Christians have allowed their faith to be co-opted by nationalism. Many have allowed their allegiance to the flag to compromise their allegiance to the cross. They"ve allowed the values of the empire they live in to redefine the Jesus they believe in.
Rather than obediently agreeing with G.o.d that every person-including Osama Bin Laden-was worth Jesus" dying for, they"ve reduced Jesus to a pagan tribal deity who, of course, agrees with them. If they they would rather kill Bin Laden than wash his feet, then surely would rather kill Bin Laden than wash his feet, then surely Jesus Jesus must want this as well. must want this as well.
The truth is that the real Jesus bears no resemblance to this tribal Jesus. The real Jesus is reflected on the poster!
A NATION TO REUNITE THE NATIONS.
To appreciate how important revolting against nationalism is to the Kingdom, we need to review a little Bible history.
G.o.d"s dream has always been for humans to form a single, united community under his loving Lordship. His goal has always been for humans to reflect the love of the triune G.o.d by how we relate to one another. This dream was shattered when our sin set us against one another and divided us into different tribes and nations. But G.o.d did not give up on his dream.
He called Abraham to form a unique nation by which "all peoples on earth will be blessed." The unique calling of the descendents of Abraham (the Jews) was to become a nation of servant-priests whom G.o.d would use to reunite the nations under his loving Lordship.
This vision of a reunited humanity is hammered home with increasing clarity and strength throughout the Old Testament. For example, Jeremiah looks forward to the time when "all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord." Zechariah prophesies of a time when the Lord will "be king over the whole earth" so that he will be the only Lord confessed among the nations. And Joel prophesies of a time when G.o.d"s Spirit would be poured out "on all people."
But the prophet who most forcefully captures G.o.d"s vision of a reunited humanity is Isaiah. From the start, the Israelites had a tendency to define themselves over and against other nations rather than as the servants of other nations. They fell into nationalistic idolatry. Through Isaiah the Lord confronts this idolatrous mindset and reiterates his agelong goal of reaching all nations.
In Isaiah 55 the Lord announces that anyone from any nation who is thirsty or hungry can come and feast at his banquet table for free. He promises everyone who comes to his feast that he will bring them into the "everlasting covenant" that he "promised to David." For, the Lord says, David was raised up not just to be the earthly king of the Jews but also to be a "witness" and "ruler" of all nations. It"s clear from this that G.o.d"s goal was, and still is, to incorporate all nations into his covenant with Israel under the reign of a Davidic King.
The Lord reiterates his global goal when he goes on to say that his chosen people will "summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you" because the Lord "has endowed you with splendor." G.o.d"s goal was always to bless Israel as a means of attracting all nations to himself. Most Israelites forgot this, however. They thought the blessing was just because G.o.d favored them over other nations. They had reduced Yahweh to a tribal deity.
And so the Lord goes on to proclaim, My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways....As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.Isaiah 55:89 People often cite this verse to justify embracing incoherent beliefs. A convenient way to insulate a cherished belief from rational criticism is to simply say, "G.o.d"s thoughts are higher than our thoughts." It"s really an abusive use of this pa.s.sage, for in the original context G.o.d is confronting our tribalism. G.o.d is saying his thoughts are higher than ours, for like the ancient Jews, we often forget that G.o.d"s heart is for all people from all nations to come and feast at his banquet table for free.
One final aspect of the Old Testament"s unfolding vision of a reunited humanity should be mentioned. Throughout the Old Testament we find a growing expectation that someday all the nations will be reunited under a divinely appointed king.
In Psalm 72, for example, the author prays for a day when "all kings" and "all nations" will "bow down" to a king whom G.o.d will anoint. G.o.d"s king will deliver "the needy who cry out" and save "the afflicted who have no one to help." He will "take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death." He will "rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight." When this happens, the psalmist concludes, "all nations will be blessed through [G.o.d"s anointed king]" and "the whole earth" will "be filled with his glory."
What pa.s.sages like this reveal is that G.o.d"s promise to bless all the nations through Abraham and his descendents is to be fulfilled in a coming king whom G.o.d will anoint. Through him all the scattered people groups will be ministered to. Through him all the tribes and nations will be reconciled as they come to know the one true G.o.d. Through him G.o.d"s dream of a united human community reflecting his triune love will be finally realized.
THE TRANSNATIONAL KINGDOM OF JESUS.
The anointed king, of course, is Jesus Christ. (Christ means "anointed.") means "anointed.") When the New Testament announces that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, as it frequently does, it has to be understood against the backdrop of this Old Testament motif. Jesus Christ is not just the Lord, Savior, and Messiah of the Jews: he is the Lord, Savior, and Messiah of all people. In him, all the prophecies about the nations being reunited will eventually find their fulfillment.
The theme is unmistakable if we read the Gospels against the backdrop of their original social and political milieu. Most Jews of Jesus" day were intensely nationalistic and were expecting a completely pro-Israel Messiah. They thought the Messiah would lead Israel to victory over their Roman oppressors and would reestablish Israel as a sovereign nation under G.o.d.
This is why people constantly tried to force Jesus" hand on the divisive political issues of the day. But as we noted in Chapter 2, Jesus uniformly refused to weigh in on these debates. He would not play the role of a pro-Israel, anti-Roman Messiah or let himself be co-opted by any nationalistic agenda-not even on behalf of G.o.d"s "chosen nation." For the Kingdom that Jesus came to establish is about fulfilling G.o.d"s dream of reuniting all the nations.
Jesus reveals that, where G.o.d reigns, national walls will be torn down and national distinctions rendered insignificant. "In Christ," Paul says, "there is neither Jew nor Gentile." In Christ "the dividing wall of hostility" has been abolished between groups of people and a "new humanity" has been created. A central aspect of the Kingdom revolution, therefore, is manifesting the beauty of what it looks like for a people to be freed from the idol of nationalism and to be reunited under the G.o.d who is Lord of all nations.
CHRIST BECOMES A WARRING, TRIBAL G.o.d.
For the first three hundred years or so of the Kingdom revolution, Christians on the whole remained beautifully free of nationalistic idolatry. The early Christians didn"t see themselves as belonging to the empire they lived in, and they would not pledge allegiance to or fight for any ruler or country. They routinely choose to die rather than pledge allegiance to a symbolic statue of the emperor. They were consequently criticized and persecuted for being unpatriotic, subversive, and cowardly.
By their refusal to conform and willingness to suffer, these early followers of Jesus bore witness to a radically different, beautiful, Christlike way of doing life. (The word martyr martyr originally meant "witness," but it soon became synonymous with witnessing by dying.) In sharp contrast to Islam, which experienced explosive growth in its earliest years by the ferocity of its warriors, the early Church experienced explosive growth in its earliest years by the beautiful way followers of Jesus chose to die rather than fight. originally meant "witness," but it soon became synonymous with witnessing by dying.) In sharp contrast to Islam, which experienced explosive growth in its earliest years by the ferocity of its warriors, the early Church experienced explosive growth in its earliest years by the beautiful way followers of Jesus chose to die rather than fight.
Constantine"s alleged vision, telling him to go to war under the banner of Christ (discussed in chapter 2), changed all this. Christ was reduced to a pagan, nationalistic G.o.d of war. Once Christianity became part of the empire"s nationalism, ma.s.ses converted to it. While many followers of Jesus resisted this watering down of the faith, the Church, on the whole, embraced it. In the minds of thinkers like Eusebius and Augustine, G.o.d had blessed the Church by making it a powerful, politically influential inst.i.tution.
Not surprisingly, in the centuries that followed, the Church, more often than not, lacked the capacity to distinguish clearly between the Kingdom of G.o.d and whatever national kingdom it happened to find itself in. Leaders as well as the ma.s.ses too often embraced their nation"s values and goals as though they were G.o.d"s own. Consequently, the Church was often been reduced to little more than a religious puppet of the government and a.s.signed the job of blessing its nation"s causes and military exploits, just as pagan religions have done throughout history.
The Church blessed European kings and armies as they attempted to reclaim the Holy Land, fought infidels, and carried out other "holy" causes throughout the Middle Ages. As the so-called Holy Roman Empire started becoming fragmented along national lines in the late Middle Ages, this nationalistic idolatry resulted in a myriad of intra-Christian nationalistic wars. Divided by national and denominational lines, Christians brutally slaughtered each other-all under the banner of Christ and always "for G.o.d and country." There was, for example, the Hundred Years War in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Eighty Years War in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the Thirty Years War in the seventeenth century. The wars were so costly and vanquished so much of Europe"s population that secular authorities finally had to step in and call a truce (the famous "Peace of Westphalia").
These b.l.o.o.d.y intra-Christian wars arguably did more to push the West in a secular direction than any other single factor, including the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. And this simply ill.u.s.trates the diabolical consequences that follow when Jesus" followers fail to resist the demonic pull toward nationalism.
MANIFEST DESTINY?.
Sadly, this nationalistic, militaristic brand of Christianity played a big role in the conquering of America. As all nations have done throughout history, the Europeans who conquered America did it under the banner of a tribal G.o.d. It"s just that this tribal G.o.d wasn"t Zeus, Apollo, or Allah: it was Jesus. In the name of the crucified messiah, and "for G.o.d and country," white Europeans claimed this land, slaughtered millions of Native Americans, enslaved millions of Africans, and eventually came to rule.
Not only this, but following the tradition of Eusebius and Augustine (as well as pagans throughout history), the success Europeans enjoyed in vanquishing their enemies was viewed as proof that G.o.d was on their side. It was "Manifest Destiny," many claimed, that white Europeans were to lord over the land and over non-Europeans.
This idolatrous nationalism has persisted throughout our history. Americans have always been inclined to see their nation as a "Christian" nation, uniquely "under G.o.d," uniquely righteous, and uniquely destined by G.o.d to transform the world. Many, including a former president, have spoken of America as the "light of the world" and a "holy city set on a hill." Many continue to believe that American soldiers fight "for G.o.d and country," for, they a.s.sume, we are a just and righteous nation while our enemies are "evildoers."
There is, of course, absolutely no evidence G.o.d agrees with any of this-unless, of course, you buy the old pagan argument that military victory is itself proof of divine favor. The myth of America"s favored status is simply something we"ve told ourselves for centuries to b.u.t.tress national self-ident.i.ty and motivate our soldiers in war. The myth, in other words, is just our particular version of nationalistic idolatry.
It"s time, I believe, for the Church in America to finally free itself completely from this diabolic bondage.
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
When followers of Jesus aren"t careful to clearly distinguish the Kingdom from their own nation, we easily end up Christianizing aspects of our national culture we ought to be revolting against.
For example, America is founded on the conviction that everybody has an "inalienable right" to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Now, politically speaking, I think these rights are the greatest privileges a government could ever give its people. Politically speaking, I"m a fan of the Declaration of Independence. But as a Kingdom person, I have to be careful not to think these values are Kingdom Kingdom values. Indeed, as a follower of Jesus I have to critically a.s.sess these values as things I may have to values. Indeed, as a follower of Jesus I have to critically a.s.sess these values as things I may have to revolt against revolt against to manifest the unique beauty of the Kingdom. Let"s briefly consider each of these rights. to manifest the unique beauty of the Kingdom. Let"s briefly consider each of these rights.
The Right to Life Americans believe we have the right to defend our lives and our rights when they"re threatened, using any means necessary.
This is a n.o.ble political right. I personally wouldn"t want to live under a government that didn"t grant this right to its citizens. Yet as followers of Jesus we must never let political values-even n.o.ble ones-define the unique Kingdom that alone has our allegiance.
As Kingdom people we"re called to follow the One who surrendered his right to life in order to express G.o.d"s love for his enemies. We"re thus called to manifest the beauty of a life that no longer clings to its right to remain alive and no longer fears death, even at the hands of our enemies. Following Jesus, we"re called to manifest the beauty of an outrageously impractical life that would sooner be killed than kill.
So, while we can affirm the right to life as a n.o.ble political value, as Kingdom people we have to revolt against the temptation to put this n.o.ble value above the value of self-sacrificial love in order to manifest the beauty of the Jesus-looking Kingdom.
The Right to Liberty We Americans believe we have the right to exercise our free will however we see fit so long as no one gets hurt. And we believe we have the right to have a say in who governs us and how they govern us.
These are n.o.ble political rights. I personally wouldn"t want to live under a government that didn"t grant these rights to its citizens. Yet as Kingdom people we must notice that this value, while politically n.o.ble, has brought about ma.s.sive decadence in our culture. The emphasis on personal freedom has produced a society that is largely characterized by greed, gluttony, self-centeredness, and s.e.xual immorality. This has to curb our enthusiasm for the ideal of freedom somewhat.
Sadly, many American Christians a.s.sume personal freedom is an ultimate value that is therefore worth killing and dying for. Indeed, for many, this is the "light" America shines to the world and the reason why we are a "holy city set on a hill." For many, their faith in freedom and their faith in Christ are essentially inseparable. Standing up for freedom at all costs is part of what it means to be a "true Christian."
But one reads nothing about political freedom in the Old or New Testaments. Most importantly, Jesus doesn"t say a word about political freedom. The early Church grew and thrived for several hundred years in a context entirely devoid of political freedom; yet never once in their writings do we hear early Christian writers wishing for it or expecting it-let alone fighting for it! Nor does one find any talk about political freedom throughout the rest of Church history before the modern period (the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries). In fact, the Church on the whole strongly opposed opposed the concept of people governing themselves when it first began to be discussed in the late Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. How ironic that several hundred years later the majority of western Christians a.s.sume political freedom is synonymous with the Christian faith and-even more ironic-worth killing for! This simply demonstrates how thoroughly the faith of many western Christians has been co-opted and redefined by nationalistic ideals. the concept of people governing themselves when it first began to be discussed in the late Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. How ironic that several hundred years later the majority of western Christians a.s.sume political freedom is synonymous with the Christian faith and-even more ironic-worth killing for! This simply demonstrates how thoroughly the faith of many western Christians has been co-opted and redefined by nationalistic ideals.
Personal and political liberty certainly is a n.o.ble cultural ideal, but it certainly is not is not a distinctly Kingdom ideal. In fact, on some level, personal liberty is something Kingdom people are called to a distinctly Kingdom ideal. In fact, on some level, personal liberty is something Kingdom people are called to revolt against revolt against.
As Kingdom people we"re called to imitate the One who never exercised his free will outside the will of his Father. We"re called to surrender our freedom and submit our will to G.o.d"s will, both as he"s revealed it in Scripture and as he directs us by his Spirit moment-by-moment. Not only this, but we"re called to live in communities in which we surrender our rights and humbly defer to one another.
Our fallen tendency to exercise our free will however we want is something we must revolt against. As we faithfully do this, we manifest something that goes far beyond a n.o.ble political value. We manifest the beauty of a life that is no longer addicted to its freedom and rights, for it has found something far better and far more beautiful-the eternal Life that comes from G.o.d lived in a community characterized by servant-love.