The modern sin of Christian nationalism

In order for the Realm of God to prevail, Christians must give up nationalistic idolatry and the destructive sin of Christian Nationalism. In many ways, this desolating sacrilege of Christian theology is destroying both the church and America. It is nothing new. Scripture has warned of this sin throughout the pages of the Bible, but the delusional allure of Nationalism is so attractive to so many people of faith that it is hard to see past its distortions and lies.

So many in the days of Jesus longed for a nationalistic ideal that they misunderstood Jesus to be someone whom he was not. They wanted a king to rule the land with power and authority that would smite Rome, restore Israel’s greatness, and punish everyone with whom they disagreed. On Palm Sunday as Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives on a donkey, they heralded him as the conquering military ruler that would wield his destructive power and restore the world as they wanted it. That was not the true Messiah of God.

King David, in spite of all his greatness and deep love of God, was sanctioned by God for the bloodshed, violence, and hatred he held during his reign as King of Israel. God loved David but would not allow him to build the temple because David’s life was blemished with lies, treachery, and murder. Israel may have wanted a vicious and powerful king, but God wanted a greater legacy. God wanted a realm of peace and justice, not war, death, punishment, and earthly power.

Jonah was a great prophet that accomplished amazing things. Yet he was a dangerous nationalist and racist. Called by God to go to Niniva and preach the Good News to that foreign land, Jonah was not interested. Why would a good son of Abraham, Iassac, and Moses waste his time and energy preaching to people who he did not like because the were foreigners and outside of God’s covenant? Eventually, after passing through the belly of a whale and getting called a second time, Jonah relented—but reluctantly. In the end, when his message from God was heeded, the Nationalistic and racist Jonah complained to God again and was left in a state of disgraceful hatred for all that God had done because, in his mind, those foreigners did not deserve God’s blessing or grace.

Much of the ancient tension between the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah hinged on misguided and idolatrous nationalistic pride perpetrated by their respective kings. Both kingdoms distrusted the other as an enemy to be hated and destroyed because their respective kings refused to trust the opposing king, acknowledge the legitimacy of the other kingdom, or understand the worship of the other people. Consequently, the two kingdoms who both prayed to and worshipped the same God, refused to understand, or accept the relevancy of the other based simply on their ingrained hatred and biased opinions regarding the opposing kingdom.

Today we live in a nation that is being torn apart because of the idolatrous sin of American Christian Nationalism. In many cases, Christian theology, worship, and preaching is being dictated by partisan politics rather than inspired by the Holy Spirit. In 1967 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King preached, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture it prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.” Tragically, many in the Church have not learned from this prophetic warning. It is time the Church return to the Gospel and stop trying to be the powerful arm of governmental authority and the slave of partisan politics.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: The modern sin of Christian nationalism