Us vs Them: Kingdom Idolatry

              Last post, I discussed how Christians, through their loyal support of their government, create an us vs them ideology that is contrary to the Kingdom of God. By pledging loyalty/allegiance to a particular government, Christians are invariably pulled in two directions. One way is towards the betterment and improvement of the state, to the neglect of humanity as a whole, the other towards the betterment of man as a whole, to the neglect of the self. Now what constitutes pledging allegiance or loyalty to government is ambiguous, and should not be, in my opinion, formalized, but, needless to say, many Christians pledge allegiance to their government, muddling the distinction between God and Caesar.

                A few things before we begin. One, pledging allegiance is separate from gratitude to your country or even patriotic sentiments. To make a pledge is to make a promise. By pledging your allegiance to a government you are promising your support and loyalty towards a nation. This as I stated in my last post results in a lose-lose scenario for the Christian, who will invariably break his or her oath (although I will admit that this might not happen to every Christian individually, but as a whole, it will always happen). However, one can still be patriotic and gracious towards one’s country apart from pledging support towards it. This I feel is no different than being grateful towards one’s community or family. However, despite my love towards my family and community, there are still instances where I would not support them in their endeavors, such as if they were criminal or sinful in nature. Since God is the only one who is incapable of leading us astray, it makes little sense to pledge allegiance to anyone but him.

                Second, change brought about through the government is change that is contrary to the Kingdom of God. Change from the government is always top down, brought about by fear and enforced through violence. This might seem overly harsh, but if one examines the issue, they will come to the same conclusion. For an example, let’s take a modern day issue confronting our nation, abortion. If abortion was outlawed completely, undoubtedly it would signal a great victory for many Christians across our country. But would the institution of this law be consistent with the Kingdom of God? First off, let us separate the two Kingdoms. I believe that it is safe to assume that not every person in America is an active member of the Kingdom of God, and that many would not approve of the outlawing of abortion. This means that there will be dissenters to this new law. To round up the dissenters, who may break a law they do not agree with, the government would need to use force to hold, convict and punish those who defy their authority. However, where are Christians told to enforce their laws upon others using force? If we don’t do this to our own brethren, why should this be encouraged apart from the church?

Next, let’s ask this question, are Christians allowed to wield the sword in enforcing their laws within a Church environment? Many I have no doubt will say no to this question. When divorces occur we do not take up our pitchforks to ensure compliance to God’s law. In fact, every discipline measure instituted by the New Testament is free of violence. Why should this be any different within a society organized mostly by Christians? What is a government, but a collection of individuals banding together under a common purpose. This often entails relinquishing part of the individual’s freedom to ensure a level of protection from internal and external enemies. However, if a society is protected by God, such as the Kingdom of God, then any protection granted by a government proves superfluous. This entails a great deal of faith, but is what I believe the entire biblical narrative espouses, beginning with Israel in the Old Testament and ending with the church or body of Christ in the new.

Next, are Christians called to use the government in advancing the Kingdom of God? No doubt there are laws that govern the Kingdom of God that do not govern any government, and vice versa. Christians are called to be sober and abstain from sexual immorality. Last I checked, these are not laws within our government, and only exist in the Islamic countries where Sharia law is enforced. So enforcing Kingdom laws as governmental laws entails a level of coercion that does not exist within the Kingdom of God. We coerce others into compliance with the laws of God’s Kingdom without actually bringing them into God’s kingdom. Since all of man is under the laws issued by God, enforcing them upon one another seems to be pointless indeed, especially if the individual remains unchanged. Change the individual and the laws that govern society are changed as a result, eventually resulting in the end of government as we see it. I sincerely believe that this is the model offered by the New Testament and that using the government to advance the Kingdom of God proves harmful to the church’s purpose. Instead of pushing the boundaries of the Kingdom of God, we diminish the church’s ability to witness in and change the world.

Finally, allegiance to the government creates an us vs them ideology. The Kingdom of God transcends borders and time, while the Kingdoms of this World are interested only in the interests of its people. The Kingdom of God is interested in the needs of all of creation. For example, when Donald Trump wears a cap that says, “Let’s make America great again” what does he mean? Does this mean that the first shall be last? Does this mean that the strong serves the weak? Does this mean that we will be a servant to all other nations? I will venture to say that it means none of these things, but that it simply means he wishes for America to rich and powerful. But power and wealth are only measured in relation to others, so America becomes wealthy and powerful in relation to the countries that surround it, and often at their expense. Is the Kingdom of God meant to be wealthy and powerful? If so, how? I will say it depends on how you define these terms. Clearly, Christians, who rely upon God for sustenance and protection, will be both wealthy and powerful. They will be happy dwelling in the peace that passes all understanding and will have the Creator of the universe watching over them. Although, secular wealth and power, they probably won't not have.

This us vs them ideology limits the work of the Kingdom and creates selfishness. One of the greatest sin confronting the church now a days is the sin of discontent. This discontent has been witnessed by man throughout history with Plato and Solomon both recognizing man’s desire to want more or “do better”. When this “infinite discontent” is turned towards finite objects it leads to a continual search for meaning that leads to the destruction of the self and others. Likewise, turned towards God it leads to peace, contentment and a selflessness that transforms man. When a Christian supports a government it leads to a continual search toward material things. Since a government’s sole purpose is look out for the interests of its citizens, it will inevitably encroach on the toes of other nations and peoples in order to obtain the highest level of living for its own people. Just look at the U.S. for this to be confirmed. The increasing mobilization of our military, the exploitation of cheap labor in foreign countries, the meddling in other governments’ politics, and host of other policies the U.S. undertakes all attest to this pursuit towards selfish ends.

The Kingdom of God is contrary to this us vs them ideology. In it the desire of the self are destroyed, while the needs of others are emphasized. It’s not us vs them, but them > us. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mat 6:33). In God’s kingdom we seek Him first and let all our needs fall into place, trusting in his character. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psa 20:7). Putting our hope in a government to issue change that can only be brought about by expanding the Kingdom of God in kingdom ways is idolatrous. Jesus provides the model to change the world and advance his kingdom. It’s not through rifles, nukes and governmental decrees, but through the blood, sweat and tears of the saints as they bring God’s light into the world.

Tolstoy recognized this. He recognized how Christians over complicate things by involving governmental agencies and forsaking their duties as disciples. While I do not agree with all of Tolstoy sentiments, his call to a simpler more primitive Christianity refreshes my soul. Next post, I will try and elaborate more on the inclusive view of the Kingdom of God, incorporating not just Christians, but all of creation.