31 August 2005

Again from "A Better Hope" by Stanley Hauerwas.

Even though I believe the fundamental presuppositions that shaped much of American life and government were meant to destroy or at least marginalize the church, I believe with God's help the church may even survive in America. Rather, the problem is that when Christians in America take as their fundamental task to make America work, we lose our ability to survive as church. We do so because in the interest of serving America the church unwittingly becomes governed by the story of America... That story is meant to make our God at home in America.

Again in today's Columbus paper, the "patriot" pastors met under the direction of Rod Parsley and Zell (give em hell) Miller- with Kenneth Blackwell broadly smiling at the whole thing. They are going to win this country over to Jesus and stop what they say has been the oppression of the church by the state. Well, we are not the state and we are not called to take it over and make it work. We are the church and we will always be set at odds with whatever state may be our governing body. It is quite alright not to be in power and have things as we would like them to be for just our kind. Some of the most infamous times in the life of the church has been when the church has gone to bed with governments and rulers or at least served to bless what the state/empire did or wanted to do. We, the church, has no home. Our home is within the Reign of God that has no boundaries and not state lines to separate one from another. Our home is the radical notion of loving Jesus which leads us into the radical life in which our love of God is imprinted upon our love of neighbors...who live both inside and outside of our politically designated borders. The church will survive even if we do not sell ourselves to the state or let nationalism become a part of our creed.

Connection: Listen to the language of what is called Christianity in this country. Most often, the cross is turned into a magical wand that will whisk away my personal sin. Make sure that when you hear talk of the cross...and the call to follow it...it leads us into a life that looks like the way of the cross of Jesus. There is no nationalism along that way...except of course among those who drove in the nails.

Lord, be a guide for us so that we can be a people who do not lose sight of the cross and within that vision we begin to walk within this world but always questioning the way the world would have us go. Let you love Reign among us. Amen.