For God and Country

This blog post is a comment from another blog that got carried away. Refer to this page for the blog titled "greg boyd"

I am on board with Mr. Boyd. The "God and Country" sentiment was manufactured by perhaps well-meaning politicians who needed to gain support for war (although I am not vain enough to say which way, although I would dare say it was in the last century since it was the only era with mass media).

I immediately think of the apostles' reactions to Jesus' announcement at the last supper that he would be betrayed and killed. Still at this point Jesus was thought of as a political liberator. How would Jesus liberate his people by allowing himself to be killed? The answer is just as Greg Boyd claims - the Kingdom Jesus brought was not of this world.

Why should we, then, claim our position as Christian, be we liberals or conservatives? It is almost like swearing an oath. I am known to be a Christian by my family and friends and therefore do not need to swear I will perform any certain act. "I swear I will bring a tuna noodle casserole to our next game night." Such an assertion is not necessary.

If we are claiming our position is the only Christian position we have just seated ourselves on the throne of Biblical interpretation. And the very nature of a throne is that only one may occupy it. Quite a vain thing to assert.

Furthermore, the link to the video supplement on the NY Times link clandestening gives us shows an interview of a former parishoner at Boyd's church. He left in protest to the sermon series Boyd preached on the Cross and the Sword. This parishoner says he left because he could not participate in a church where his beliefs were being taught against. This fellow heard, from Boyd's sermons, a call to disengage from politics - to stop voting and seclude himself.

Such a reaction merely validates Boyd's point. We are so indocrinated, especially in evangelical circles, to value God and Country (the USA exclusively) that we are offended when we hear someone claiming to be a Christian who disagrees with us politically. Boyd, I believe, would not encourage his parishoners to disengage from public life. He would say "get to the Kingdom work" by joining with other sensible people of like mind (no matter their religious or political affiliation). Do NOT, however, claim you are representing Christianity in your particular circle of influence.