Won’t you be relieved when the election & all the campaigning & ads are over?! It seems such a wasteful shame how multiple millions of dollars are spent trying to convince people to vote & how to vote (who are mostly already convinced). Yet, aren’t you glad we have the right to vote, to freedom of speech & religion so that we can influence our nation for good? I don’t want to add to the political saturation & exhaustion, but I would like to contribute some biblical perspective.
There’s a lot of controversy these days about what’s labeled as “Christian Nationalism.” What is it? That’s just it–there’s no agreed-upon definition. To be labeled a “Christian nationalist” is usually derogatory. People will use it pejoratively when they don’t even understand the term. Does it mean that America is a Christian nation? America certainly was founded by people who were Christians or at least adhered to a kind of biblical worldview & morality. God, Jesus, & Bible verses are incorporated in our national documents, rulings, presidential speeches, mottos, songs, buildings, pledge, money & more. But no nation can truly be “Christian” in the strict sense because it would have to be a population of citizens who are genuinely abiding by Christian values.
Does it mean that anything Christian in public life is Christian nationalism? That’s ridiculous. Christians have just as much right to express their views & exercise their rights as anyone else. There’s certainly no denying that some wish that Christians would keep their faith private & not try to influence the culture & laws of any nation whatsoever. So I don’t think the term really means much of anything. What if Christians would just like to see a biblical approach to equal justice under the nation’s laws? What if it meant that we’d like to see respect for the authority of God that our nation has claimed to have from the beginning? What if it meant that we want to bring our faith into the public square & argue for moral policies that protect innocent human life, children, & the meaning of marriage & family?
So whether anyone uses the term “Christian Nationalist” or not, as Romans 13:3-4 points out, there is right & wrong, & the “good” which the State is to uphold. These aren’t relativistic ideas of whatever the majority may vote for, or what the polls say. They are defined by the absolute standards of God’s Word. The authority of the State is limited by the same God who delegated that authority. Nothing is politically right that is morally wrong. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it right. Just because something is illegal doesn’t make it wrong. There is a higher moral law. The Laws of God are above the laws of man. Democracy only works if the people truly recognize this.
I don’t believe anyone is saying that all sinning should be made illegal. You can be free to privately practice evil. We shouldn’t call for every person practicing immoral behavior to be locked up, because there’d be nobody left outside the prison walls. But what we’d like to see is that evil not be embraced & promoted by the State, especially using our tax dollars to do so. The mantra today is: “You can’t legislate morality”-well, that’s absurd because nearly all law is based on some morality…the only question is whose? Either it’s God’s or it’s not.
One of our Southpoint members is a candidate for a local school board because she saw so many things harming children going on in public education and local school boards. Parents have been raising concerns in school board meetings-the recent one in Dearborn made national news. She recently posted: “Last night, I was compared with Hitler for wanting pornographic materials removed from public schools. I also want to keep children from hot stoves and busy intersections. Who does that make me? Charles Manson? The protection of our children used to be the one thing we could all agree on. I’m struggling to navigate a world where any of this is controversial. Nevertheless, I’m going to keep fighting the good fight.”
I wanted to encourage her so I commented with a meme that said: “First we overlook evil. Then we permit evil. Then we legalize evil. Then we promote evil. Then we celebrate evil. Then we persecute those who still call it evil.”
I’m glad she’s trying to work for the good of society & the glory of God. Politics unavoidably, & sometimes intentionally, impacts the Church. But politics should not be the focus of the Church. The Church is not another SuperPac promoting candidacies & temporal policies. Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world. But while we’re in the world, we can be an influence for “the common good.” This election will soon be over, but regardless of the outcomes the fight for what’s right & good will continue.