Once upon a time there was a nation chosen and raised up by God to be a beacon to the world. He placed His hand of protection upon her and led her in ways to where she flourished and thrived. Soon she became the greatest nation on earth. But, prideful and drunk on her success, she gradually backed away from her commitment to be a shining example for God. She began to make decisions that were not God-honoring and chose leaders that were not committed to fleshing out God’s values. And the result is that God removed His hand of blessing from her and allowed her to be overrun and her former glory to become a distant memory.
That, of course, is a brief account of the history of Israel. But it is also a narrative regarding America that fuels the actions of a number of professing Christians. According to their thinking, America was raised up by God with a special sense of His blessing, and she has prospered over the years because of her commitment to live out God’s values and ideals. But in recent years, decisions have been made that have spurned and ignored God’s ideals. Leaders are taking her down a path that, unless it is checked, will result in her being overrun like ancient Israel. Fearing that a future of divine judgment is waiting in the wings, the key to staving off God’s wrath is to elect leaders who will stand and vote for Christian values—to enact legislation and pass the right laws so America can again become the Christian nation she was intended to be.
It’s a very forceful and powerful narrative, for we Americans have always had a sense of being ‘chosen’ and having a ‘favored’ status. But is it true? Is it accurate? Does it gel with history? My sense is the answer to these questions is “No!”
That’s not to deny the influence the Christian faith had on our nation’s principal founders. Most of the people that came to our shores from Europe did so for religious reasons. They wanted the freedom to live out their faith free from government intrusion and interference. Their goals and aspirations for founding this country, and the principles that guided the formation of our nation’s founding documents, are at some level shaped by, and bear witness to, the Christian faith.
But is that enough to say that America is, or was created to be, a “Christian nation”? I don’t believe so! For our nation’s founders were very uneven and inconsistent when it came to implementing Christian values. While there were attempts to institute and establish colonies that lived according to the guidelines of Scripture, there was also the practice of seizing Native American lands, and even killing people, when it prevented them from accessing the natural resources they so desperately craved. In addition, the practice of slavery—which was the law of the land for the better part of our nation’s first century—was not consistent with a commitment to abide by, and flesh out, Christian values. A nation that was distinctively Christian would not have permitted these practices. They would not have stood for anything that failed to comply with the idea that all people are made in the image of God.
In addition, Jesus—who we hold as being the definitive and consummate revelation of God—continually resisted attempts by the people of His day to establish a political Kingdom. In fact, He often kept his Messiahship a secret, ostensibly to keep this narrative from gaining any more traction than it already had and taking hold. When he stood before Pilate, he spoke of a Kingdom that was not of this world—one that would transcend political, ethnic, racial, and social boundaries. In fact, making His mission about the kingdoms of the world was one of the temptations that Satan placed before Him in his wilderness experience, and one that he patently rejected. My sense is God is no longer in the nation building business—that Jesus’ fulfilled the requirements of the old covenant to where God’s focus these days is on building a kingdom of people from every tribe and tongue, and from every walk of life, who have placed their faith in Him and are committed to working to see His values implemented and priorities lived out wherever they happen to find themselves.
That’s not to say that politics and public policy doesn’t matter. Nor is it to say that we shouldn’t be involved in the political process. As Christ-followers, we’re to be salt and light, and a key part of our witness has political implications. There are values we should work to uphold. How we vote matters, for we are choosing the people who will make important decisions. Their character … their worldview … their track record of making decisions matters.
But here’s a question I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about: As a follower of Jesus, should it be my goal to turn America into a “Christian nation”, or should it be my goal to turn her into a “nation of Christians”? While some might think of this as a word game, I believe there is a profound difference in those two concepts. I also believe if those who are currently working hard to make America a “Christian nation” would funnel their efforts and passion into making her a “nation of Christians”, the result would be something that would be much more to their liking than anything that can be legislated or achieved through the political process. If we had the same passion for sharing the message of Jesus that some of us have for sharing our political views, the results would be incredible … and much to everyone’s liking!
I’m not trying to bash those who embrace the “Christian nation” idea. I truly believe they care about our country and want to see her prosper and thrive. But I fear they’ve forgotten an important point—that you can’t legislate morality. Electing the right candidate, appointing the right judge, or passing the right law can’t change the human heart. The only thing with the power to do that is the message that Jesus entrusted to the church—the gospel … the good news—a message so formidable and dynamic that the gates of hell are impotent to overcome or subdue it.
As followers of Jesus, I believe our efforts should be directed toward something that, while undoubtedly much more arduous and demanding, has the potential to yield the transformative results we so desperately seek.