A week ago today was my birthday. January 6th it is a day my immediate family and I will always remember because it was the day I was born. I woke up to connect with my savior, Jesus, as I do everyday. Then I was met by my wife Kelly and my kids for big hugs and kisses to tell me happy birthday. They cooked me breakfast, gave me gifts, and helped me have a special day. Throughout the day I received many texts, little gifts on my porch, and of course Facebook posts telling me happy birthday. It was a special day as every January 6th is for me. Kelly and I headed to a restaurant to eat on the bay overlooking the Manhattan skyline. We arrived to sit by a picturesque window facing the marina, bay, and skyline. With the 25% restaurant rule we went in the middle of the afternoon so we could secure good seating and make sure we were Covid safe from people. As we sat down in the near empty restaurant we began to receive other texts of unbelief, questions, and anger.
We quickly turned the news on via our phones and watched in horror as our nations capital was overrun by protestors and created a day in which everyone will remember as Insurrection Day. We heard news of our joint session of congress, who were officially naming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next President and Vice-President, being locked away in barricaded offices in fear for their lives. We watched as protestors beat police officers, fired weapons, and committed violence upon their countrymen. Many of those police officers they beat were Trump voters just as the protestors were but that didn’t matter in that moment. We watched protestors do more to defame our constitution, flag, and country than any athlete kneeling before a sporting event. On January 6th we saw an action that never happened during the Civil War, a war in which our rebellious states were fighting for the right to continue slavery. We saw the symbol of those rebellious states in the confederate flag flown in the capital. A symbol not of liberty, freedom, and justice for all but a symbol of hate, bondage, and racism. The opposite of our beloved American ideals.
Even more disheartening than that for Kelly and I as we sat there nearly in tears at the sight of this we saw other symbols. We saw symbols of our faith. We saw groups who had stormed the capital praying. We saw crucifixes and flags proclaiming Jesus as savior. These symbols were being carried by those who were committing acts of violence and trying to take our government over by force. These folks were thinking they were doing this in the name of God. In the aftermath of seeing this I couldn’t help but say something publicly.
I posted on Facebook “I need to say as a pastor no matter your political affiliation that what is happening in our capital isn’t right and sure not God honoring.” with a picture of a Jesus Saves banner with the protestors. This photo triggered many supposed Christ followers to anger. They checked in to make sure I was condemning BLM protestors as well. (naturally the person who said this was white) They told me that person in the photo probably didn’t commit violence. They tried to justify the activity of protesting the election because it was stolen.
First, violence is never ok in protest. Unequivocally I am against any kind of violence during protest. But if the first thing that you can respond to someone speaking out against white Trump protestors committing violence and destruction is to make sure I also am speaking out against black violence as a white person then I will also say unequivocally that you are speaking and thinking like a racist.
Second, storming the capital building while congress is in joint session to approve a President you don’t think should be in office is anti-Christ, so no matter if people who committed violence weren’t holding those signs those folks still acted as an anti-Christ. And let’s not be naive, there were symbols of Jesus everywhere. The message was clear to those watching, the protestor think Jesus approves of these actions.
Third, let’s assume for a moment that Donald Trump and his followers are right and the election was stolen from them, would this action these Christ followers were taking be appropriate. Let’s take a look at what Jesus did in a similar circumstance. The moment Jesus was betrayed by Judas was unfair. He had done nothing wrong. Fraud was committed on Jesus. He had merely taught about faith, hope, and love. It was unfair that he was being taken into custody. It was so unfair according to Jesus’ most faithful supporters that one of them, Peter, drew his sword and began to fight to save Jesus. Here’s what Jesus said to his violent protesting disciples, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Jesus’ life was stolen from him unfairly and was killed because of fraudulent statements yet he told his followers to put down their swords. The same message is as true today as it was then.
Christ followers angry about the election, put down your swords! Signed, Jesus.
A question that has come up a lot over the last week in some form is, “How did people get to the point where they are carrying symbols of Jesus committing acts of violence?” This is a huge question for people whether in the church or outside the church. This isn’t the first time violence has been committed in the name of Jesus, it has been happening since 300 AD at the time of Constantine when the crusades started.
To figure out how we got here we must go back to where we started. When we all first came to the faith whether we have grown up in the faith or converted later in life we immediately become exiles in the land. We are exiles because we do not live as the world lives. We live as an alternative community build on faith in Jesus and living out his love in the world. The world proclaims that you are the most important person in your life while the way of Jesus proclaims love of God and love of neighbor is the way. We are called to deny ourself and take up our cross. The way of the world is pursue all of our hopes and dreams.
In the Old Testament the goal of an empire who had Israelite exiles in the land was to assimilate them into their culture. The call of the prophets was to not assimilate but to live in the land as Israelites. As the church our call is no different. Our primary home is not in the particular empire in which we reside. We currently reside in the empire of America. We are exiles in this empire. The Kingdom we are truly a part of resides with Jesus. Jesus’ kingdom is built the opposite way empires of this world are built. We are called to live out Christ’s Kingdom and not assimilate ourself into the world’s empire around us. All of the prophets of the Old Testament warned of assimilation. Jesus called us not to assimilate. But Empire will always try to get us to assimilate. Assimilation is how we lose the power of Christ’s Kingdom built on love.
Living as an exile is hard. We’ve all become acutely aware during the pandemic lockdowns how hard it is to live in exile. It is easy to get sucked into bad habits and doing things that we know aren’t us. Things snowball. Before we know it we are 20lbs heavier, in debt, relationships are damaged, and we barely get much done. Another key issue that has happened during the pandemic exile is we all have our authority figures with whom we base our decisions. Whether we listen to Fauci, our nurse or doctor friend, medical journals, Fox, CNN, or social media meme’s we have all have someone we listen to that helps us navigate these days. Since we are in exile we don’t know how to navigate these days so we act in ways in which they call us to. The problem with this pandemic is our political leaders began to politicize authority figures so that they gained political power. The politicians played on our fears to gain momentum and use this exile we are all in to gain votes in November. They all did it and knew that they could.
This situation is not dissimilar to what happens to us in exile spiritually. It is hard to resist the culture of looking out for ourself and pursuing our American Dream. It is hard to resist violence to get what we want. It is hard to put aside our selfish desires for the sake of love. It is very difficult as a church to live as an alternative community in the world built on love. It is only in Jesus and by His Spirit that we can do it. To continue in this path we take up our cross daily and submit our desire to God. But we have fears, will we get to continue to live out our calling as Jesus’ followers in safety, will we still have freedom of worship, and life is important to a Christian so will we be able to protect lives even the unborn. More than fears there is a mission, a mission for all the world to know the ways of Jesus and walk in them.
In the 1950s it was common for Christians to support both Democrat and Republican candidates. In fact, Jimmy Carter, a democrat, was voted in as President because of Christian support. Billy Graham was a life long registered democrat. Around the Jimmy Carter election it was becoming clear that the Christian vote could matter if consolidated. Around the same time the big court case called “Roe v Wade” allowed for legal abortions. This would prove to be the perfect storm for Christians consolidating their vote. Politicians dangled power in front of religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and others. They were promised greater religious freedom, the fight for life, and with more political influence a greater chance of everyone in American coming to faith in Jesus.
I want to believe the best about these religious leaders. I want to believe that they weren’t in it for themselves but that they truly believed what they were doing would help influence the nation for God. I do think that their motives were pure. But if I could go back in time to talk to them I would ask them to show me where in history has aligning with political power worked?Throughout history aligning Christianity with empire always leads to violence, destruction, and ultimately assimilation into the Empire. One compromise after another leads to something you never thought possible.
The Republican party played on the fears of religious liberty and death of the unborn to consolidate the Christian vote. It worked bringing the Ronald Reagan years then the Bush years. Each time the Republicans lost a Presidential election they played on these fears telling them that if you don’t vote our way you will lose your religious liberty, ability to share Jesus, and babies will die. Which if you do any unbiased research on either issue neither claim is true but their fears and blind loyalty to their authorities won’t allow them to step off the path of assimilation that they are on.
Then they begin to define being a Christian is being a patriot and being a patriot looks a lot like the politicians agenda. Crosses are replaced with American flags in churches and homes. Respect for the flag becomes more important than respect for the cross. Each year that has gone by has led to more assimilation into the empire in the name of a couple of Christian principles. But the assimilated church has long forgot what it means to live as an alternative community in the world built on love in Christ. The assimilated Christian doesn’t know where Patriotism ends and Christianity begins as for them they are one and the same. If you think being an American Patriot and a Christian are one and the same it is time to re-evaluate your belief system.
These compromises in exile, falling in line with authorities seeking worldly power, and fully assimilating into the American empire leads us to this moment in history where people carrying symbols of Jesus are storming our Capital building committing violence along the way in the name of a politician. These folks truly think they are in the right and doing God’s work. Many will be imprisoned and think they are martyr’s for their “faith.” They have been fully assimilated into the Empire in which they reside. They are no longer living in Christ’s Kingdom. They have syncretized their faith with their civil religion. Their highest allegiance is to their political beliefs and holding political power than it is to Jesus. Our patriotism must come 3rd to the Kingdom of Jesus and our families.
So what do we do? We humble ourselves and pray. We get on our knees and repent of ways in which we have compromised living as an alternative community built on Jesus’ love in exile. Look for ways in which we have assimilated ourself into the Empire in which we reside as exiles in.
The beauty of the Gospel is there is grace. There is always grace for us who have assimilated. In the Old Testament the Israelites assimilated a lot into the Empire. There was always grace, love, and mercy available to them. If we are living as an alternative community built on the love of Jesus we will always welcome our brothers and sisters who have gone off the rails back home. We will not spew hate and wish ill upon them but we will love. Throughout scripture one of the most common metaphors for our tongues and words we speak is sword. Even if we aren’t picking up weapons we weaponize our words. Those Christians that do so are no different than the ones using actual swords. May God grant us grace and forgiveness on both sides of this Insurrection Day.
My prayer is that we move forward as a church in grace and peace. May we all lay our anger at the feet of Jesus and love like Christ did. Let us ALL put down our swords and Love as Jesus loved us and gave himself up for us.