Christian American or American Christian

If you watch television news, read a newspaper, a news magazine, or basically just do not have your head in the sand, you are aware of the financial crisis the USA now faces. You probably have heard also that many other nations are in crisis as well. In this country, as is usually the case, the politicians have come out pointing the blame at the "other" party. Everyone pontificates about how "their" party could solve all the issues if the "other" party would not be so stubborned and bull-headed.

These discussions usually turn to all the other problems facing our nation and how the right political party (read "their" party) could fix all these things if they had complete control in Washington. This rhetoric usually reaches a crescendo right around election time as you see each candidate trying to rally the base of their party and woo swing votes.

This is also usually the time when you start hearing about the Religious Right or Evangelical Voters. In addition, we hear why each candidate is the right candidate because of where they stand on the "hot-button" issues. You will hear rhetoric such as "A Christian can't vote Democrat!" in hopes to guilt people into voting for Republican candidates. You might also hear statements such as "separation of church and state" in an effort to keep religion out of politics.

This raises a question that I feel with which many people struggle. Am I to be a Christian American or an American Christian? Now you might ask what is the difference and is it not just a matter of semantics, and you could be correct. Personally, I believe that there is a difference, and it is a big one. Basically, I am asking which term defines me the most.

We live in a time in which Christianity in America has become a social religion (at least in the South, which is my context). To be a good American means I love God, country, and mama. It means I work hard, raise a family, pay my taxes, and am a well behaved citizen. Is this the way the Christian faith is described in Christian Scripture?

Do not misunderstand me; I thank God I was born in the United States and that I have the freedoms provided to me. But with this privilege comes a great responsibility. I should not use this privilege as a rite of passage that allows me to look down on others in pride. Nor should I wear it as a badge of honor that exempts me from helping those around me here at home and globally.

I believe the Christian Scriptures call us first to be citizens of God's kingdom and then citizens of a sovereign nation. So while we should be concerned about the status of our nation and about providing a future for our descendants barring Christ's return; we should be more concerned with fulfilling Christ's command to make disciples among all the nations. That should be our chief business; it should not be getting a politician we disagree with out of office.

Our political landscape is not a black and white issue; it is much messier than that. As a friend of mine said to me last week, why can't Christians be concerned with saving unborn babies AND taking care of abandoned or under-provided children? Why can't Christians be concerned with cutting unnecessary spending AND providing services for those Have-Nots in our country?

Christians are called to love mercy, act justly, and walking humbly before God. Christians are called to be salt and light to a dark world. Christians are called to be in this world, but not of this world. Last time I checked, this does not fit neatly into any political party within this great nation of ours. It is time to stop the bickering and fighting, it is time to stop pointing fingers, and it is time to start praying if you have not already.

It was Billy Graham I believe that was quoted one time in regards to being asked if he had ever considered running for President. His reply was no, why should he take a step down. His point was that he had a higher calling, which I believe extends to all Christians.

I am tired of all the fighting and name-calling, I am tired of being a political chip to be used in someone's campaign, and I am tired of Christians becoming distracted from our true calling. This world is NOT my home, I'm just passing through. And on my way through, I'm going to tell as many people as I can about my Jesus.

A Biblical Christian Response to Culture

I have a confession to make...the topic of this post has been difficult to get from my brain onto my computer. You have no idea how many times I have started only to stop after a few sentences. It's not because I am afraid of what others might think, nor is it because I don't know what to say. The reason I have had difficultly in writing on the topic is that I have so MUCH to say. For some time now I have wanted to address the topic of a biblical Christian response to culture, mainly for the reason that there are so many diverse opinions floating around. What has finally driven me to put thoughts "on paper" is the recent news of the planned rally of a "Christian" organization to burn copies of the Q'ran.

To be honest, I have not read all the details of the planned rally, but quite simply the idea of burning books makes me shudder as I recall the days of Nazi Germany and its infamous book burning parties. First of all, while Americans have the freedom to do so, it is beyond imaginable that Americans would be willing to do such a thing as burn books. Second of all, CHRISTIANS should be the last ones to practice such horrible acts. If you are a Christian, how would you feel if a religious group chose to burn our sacred Scriptures? With that act perpetuated upon our Scriptures how many of us would in turn retaliate on that religious group with violence? While most Christians would not succumb to violence, I dare say that Christians living in a Muslim context will suffer for the actions of their American brothers and sisters.

So with these thoughts in mind, what is a biblical Christian response to culture? In the Christian Scriptures, the Bible, Jesus reminds us that the greatest commandment is to Love God with every fiber of our being. He continues by stating that the second commandment is like the first, to Love Your Neighbor as yourself. He concludes by stating that every other law in scripture, every other writing in scripture hangs upon these commandments. As Christians we are to be IN the world but not OF the world. How I have come to interpret these statements has impacted and shaped me greatly. As a Christ-follower, I am to love people like Jesus loves them while showing them who He is through the way I live my life.

As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation; for salvation is a gift of God, it is not something I have earned. As a student of Scripture, I also know that the lost world around me does not have a chance outside of Christ and God has given me and all of my Christian brothers and sisters the task of taking the gospel to the nations. That means I have to love people like Jesus loves them and live in such a way that it reflects Christ's work in me. It means that while I behave differently from the world, I in no way withdraw from society and culture so that my light cannot shine in a dark world.

Christians, more than anyone else, are called upon to be different while explaining why there is a difference. That means speaking the Truth in love, that means returning kindness when faced with persecution, that means praying for and blessing our enemies. That means, even if the cost is our life, we show the love of Christ and talk about His grace to those whose religion calls for our deaths. The Sunday after 9/11/2001 as I stood in the pulpit to deliver my sermon, I asked the people to consider one thing. As Americans we all were angered by the previous Tuesday's tragedy, we all wanted Bin Laden's death. But I wanted the people to consider one thing, as Christians, God calls for us not to desire his death, but his salvation.

My point here is simple-Christians are called to live a life of love, impacting the world as salt and light. We cannot accomplish this by either promoting violence on other religions or by retreating from a culture that has become so diverse that Christians no longer have the loudest voice. Be reminded of the Apostle Paul, who when confronted with the Athens' culture did not scream and threaten, nor throw his hands up and retreat. What Paul did was politely acknowledge their culture and then proceeded to speak the Truth in love. My prayer is that Christians follow his example and do all we can to bring a lost world back into a right relationship with its Creator.