Aliens In America
July 4, 2010
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.
I Peter 2:9-12
The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. Growing up, my family and I would go to our town’s annual 4th of July parade. And some of my fondest memories of childhood are of sitting in lawn chairs by the railroad tracks of downtown Douglasville, watching the parade go by and fighting the other kids for candy and funeral home fans. Just in case you happen to ever be in Douglasville, Georgia on the 4th of July, here’s an insider’s tip: the best years to go to the parade are election years, because that’s when the politicians come out in full force and give away flyswatters and Frisbees and a whole bunch of other junk.
But even when it wasn’t an election year, the parade was still fun. There were Shriners, and beauty pageant winners, and a combined marching band from the three high schools, and Vacation Bible School floats that were really just a bunch of people sitting in the back of a pick-up truck and waving. And then, of course, there were the various representatives from our armed forces—a few folks from the Reserves, and an ROTC contingent, and a scattering of local VFW’s. And just like everybody else, I felt patriotic as I heard the marches being played and I waved my flag proudly as the soldiers marched by. So, all in all, it was pretty much your typical 4th of July experience.
But the celebration didn’t stop there. Every year, on the weekend that was closest to Independence Day, my home church would also recognize the 4th of July. I suspect that many of you in here grew up the same way, singing the Star Spangled Banner or America the Beautiful on those 4th of July Sundays. And maybe, like me, you heard sermons preached on that Sunday comparing the current status of America to the decline of the Roman Empire.
But at my home church, we went even further than that. My pastor growing up was a chaplain in the Army Reserves. And so, my church really went all out in celebrating the 4th of July. Every year, we would decorate the sanctuary with bunting hanging from the balcony and the baptistry. And some years, I can remember having an honor guard walk down the aisle during the service complete with rifles, while the choir sang the hymns from the various branches of the Armed Forces. And we had Uncle Sam dress up in costume. If we could have done it, we probably would have shot off fireworks in the sanctuary. It was a huge spectacle, and it was very patriotic.
So, the obvious question is—How come we don’t anything like that here at Park View? Some of us in here probably passed churches on our way in this morning that had their entire drive-ways lined with American flags. And yet, at Park View, we haven’t even sung one familiar patriotic song. So, what’s the matter with us? Why don’t we at Park View celebrate the 4th of July like other churches, or for that matter, the way we used to do it ourselves?
That’s the question I want us to think about this morning, and what better day to do it than the 4th of July. Because this is the day when those questions of patriotism and love of country are foremost on our minds. And I think for most of us, we don’t see any big deal about singing patriotic songs in worship once a year or having the American flag in the sanctuary. After all, we live in America, don’t we? And so, we see these things as something intrinsic to our identity. It’s just a natural part of who we are. I understand those feelings, because I am a proud American and have that same love of country.
But here’s the thing--I am also a Christian. And I am afraid that many times in the church, out of our desire to do something good, we confuse our national identity with our spiritual identity. In other words, the line between what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be an American becomes blurry. And I think that’s a problem. Because in this passage of Scripture, Peter makes it very clear that as believers, our allegiance is first and foremost to Jesus Christ.
In verse 9, Peter says that we are a holy nation. But the “we” to whom Peter refers is not the United States of America; it’s the church. And I think that strikes a blow to the idea that many of us have fostered over the years that the United States is somehow God’s own special nation. That is a myth that has been perpetuated since the founding of this country and it is still preached as the truth from many pulpits today. It’s the idea that God has somehow pre-ordained the United States to be the Savior of the world. And so, subsequently, everything we do as a nation becomes holy. If God is on our side, then that means we Americans are always right.
There are some folks out there who really believe that, who really believe that the United States can do no wrong and to question our country is the same thing as questioning God. For those folks, there is no need to distinguish between being an American and being a Christian because they are one and the same thing. And if being an American is synonymous with being a Christian, it’s easy to see how the 4th of July might become a religious holiday.
But I don’t believe that being an American is synonymous with being a Christian. Because I believe that the church has a very different mission. We are called to be a holy nation, not the United States. And I think that we have to be very, very careful, or else we will begin to place our faith in our American identity instead of our Christian identity.
Foy Valentine wrote a little book I found in our church library called Citizenship for Christians. I brought it with me this morning. It’s a good one, and he wrote it back in 1965, so we can’t just dismiss him as some modern, liberal thinker. This is a book that the Southern Baptist Press put out in what most of us think of as the golden age of America. It’s back when everybody went to church and we were still singing patriotic hymns on the 4th of July.
And yet, surprisingly, even way back in 1965, Foy Valentine was worried about whether or not we put our American identity in the proper context. This is what he wrote:
Germany conceived herself as a favored nation, foreordained to conquer the world. Russia has harbored messianic notions for centuries. Many Americans, perhaps a majority, automatically think of the United States as the modern counterpart to ancient Israel. [But] contrary to what many people think, America is not a Christian nation. No nation with a human government can ever be a Christian nation. It may approximate Christian ideals of brotherhood, justice, and peace; but a nation is secular by definition. [Because] the church of Jesus Christ is the only Christian “nation.” It transcends all national, cultural, racial, and linguistic barriers; it has Jesus Christ as the supreme head of its spiritual government; and it welcomes into its citizenry all who yield to the Lordship of God’s Son. [So], the basic sin in the political sphere is a form of idolatry.
Isn’t that interesting? Foy Valentine not only dismisses the notion that America is chosen by God; he also builds on Peter’s idea of what it means for the church to be a holy nation. And I think that is what you and I are called to keep in mind today. There is a difference between being an American church and being a church that happens to be in America. Do y’all understand that distinction? It’s true that geographically, our church is located within the United States. But our church is not an American church. Because the church of Jesus Christ is not bound to any one country. The church of Jesus Christ transcends all of those national identities. The church is a place for all God’s people. And we have to make sure that we are doing our best to communicate that message.
That is why we no longer have an American flag in our worship space. I’m sure that some of you have noticed that omission. It’s been that way now for about 4 years. And you might say, “Well preacher we’re in America—why shouldn’t we have our flag in our sanctuary?” You know, in my lifetime, I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world. And I’ve been to churches in India, and Slovakia, and Poland, and England, and out of all those places, the people of the United States are the only ones who insist on putting their flag in their sanctuaries. And I think that says something about us. I think it says that maybe we buy into the whole Christian nation thing a little more than we let on. Somewhere deep down, we really do believe we are better than everybody else. We may not say it in so many words, but having the flag in our sanctuary is one subtle way of demonstrating our superiority.
You say “Whoa, preacher, you’re taking all this stuff way too seriously. It’s just a decoration.” And I say, “I don’t think so.” To me, the American flag is a whole lot more than just a decoration. The American flag is a symbol of what we stand for in this country. It is a symbol of the many men and women who have died to make this country, and this world, a better place. So, you’re darn right I take it seriously.
But as meaningful as it is to me, I do not think the American flag has a place in a house of worship. Because the American flag is not the symbol of the church; the American flag is the symbol of our country. The symbol of the church is the cross. And that is a very different message to communicate. In some ways, it’s almost the opposite of our flag. The flag represents a victorious nation, with all the wealth and power of the United States behind it. But the cross is about humility and defeat. It is not about taking pride in what we have done; it is about demonstrating what Jesus Christ has done for us. And so, I believe that when we have the cross and the flag side by side in our churches, we get a jarring contrast that confuses us--Who are we supposed to be? Are we supposed to be a nation of strength and power who can crush our enemies or are we called to be a holy nation, a royal priesthood, God’s own people?
Now, I want to be very clear about what I’m saying this morning, because some of you will no doubt perceive this sermon as an attack on your patriotism. But it’s not. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being an American. In fact, there are many ways in which being an American makes being a Christian a whole lot easier. You and I live in a country that enjoys great religious freedom. And I think it is very appropriate for us in the church to express our gratitude for that freedom. If you listened closely to the words of the prayers that have been offered today, that is exactly what we have done.
But I don’t think we should assume that being an American goes hand in hand with being a Christian. Because I believe there are actually some ways in which being an American makes being a Christian harder. Did y’all hear that? I believe there are some ways that being an American makes being a Christian harder. And I think we need to constantly be asking ourselves in what ways our American identity might be infringing on our Christian identity. Are there values and ideas our country espouses that are not in accordance with the teachings of Jesus? And if you can’t come up with any concrete examples, you probably haven’t been thinking about this question enough.
For instance, we live in a country that now spends 19% of its budget each year building and maintaining weapons of war. And I think one of the questions we need to ask is—is the military-industrial complex compatible with the message of Christ? You and I now live in a country where the system of economics is built on free market principles like competition and charging interest. And I think we need to ask—is that compatible with the message of Christ?
This morning, I do not intend to provide definitive answers to these questions, because I don’t have definitive answers. But I think that they are questions that need to be asked. Because I think it is time we reevaluated what it means for us to be a holy nation. In verse 11 of this passage, Peter says that the church should be so distinctive from the surrounding culture that we think of ourselves as aliens and exiles. Meaning that you and I are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Yes, we are Americans by birth, but we are also God’s people. And that identity is what trumps every other label we might give ourselves in this lifetime.
In the next part of the passage, Peter goes on to say that we should respect and affirm the human appointed authorities in our world. And by all means, I think we in the church should pray for our elected officials, whether or not we voted for them. They obviously need a lot of prayer.
But I think where we cross the line is when we in the church start proclaiming that the United States is the best country in the world. Maybe we don’t mean to and maybe we don’t realize we’re doing it, but I think the danger is there. Because regardless of if that’s true, and regardless of if we believe it, the message of the church is not to proclaim that the United States is the best country in the world. You and I are here to proclaim the cross. And the cross knows no barriers. God so loved the world that he sent his son, not so that America might be great, but so that all who believe in him will have eternal life.
That’s why we don’t make a big hoopla about the 4th of July here at Park View Baptist Church. It’s not because I’m unpatriotic; on the contrary, I consider myself to be a patriotic person. I am proud of my country. And I am proud of people like my grandfather, who served in World War II and fought to secure the freedoms we enjoy today. And so, I encourage you this afternoon to celebrate our independence and to go home and to cook out and to see the fireworks and to do all the things that remind us of how great it is to be an American.
But let’s wait until this afternoon. Because as wonderful as it is to be proud of our country, we in the church have bigger fish to fry. And we have a different message to proclaim--Christ crucified. That is the good news on this Independence Day, and for every other day as well. AMEN