Lady Liberty... or Kingdom Come?

Recognize the following words?

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, with conquering limbs astride from land to land; here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightening, and her name ‘Mother of Exiles.” From her beacon-hand glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame:

‘Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she with silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’”
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So reads a plaque at the pedestal’s entrance to the Statue of Liberty. A sonnet written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 to help raise money for the building of the pedestal upon which stands Lady Liberty, which was sent from France as a gift in commemoration of the friendship between the two nations after the Civil War.

The sight of Lady Liberty, representing the very heart and soul of America, has evoked the passion of many an immigrant seeking the right and freedom to pursue Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Many a tear have rolled down the cheeks of new arrivals, tears of gratitude, tears of hope and faith for a bigger, better, brighter future, thanks to Lady Liberty.

Who can’t help but to be moved by the ideal, the vision, the dream we call “America the beautiful,” the “American Dream”! And in times of danger and trial, we can’t help but to stand proud as a unified nation. “One Nation under God,” we like to say. “God Bless America!” we cry out. As if to say, God is on our side; and if God is on our side, who dare be against us?!

Yes, in times like these we are proud to be Americans, proud to be from the land of the free, the land of plenty, the land of destiny! From the mountains to the valleys, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, we believe that we are one nation and one land, under God—a nation of law and order. We believe in freedom and equality, justice for all, and equal opportunity for all.

What a land of opportunity we have, what a wonderful country of which to be a part. We like to say that anybody, of whatever social, economic, or even racial background, can become president, if they put their mind to it. Is there any other nation like this? Is there any other land like ours? Is there any better government, any better judicial system, any better legislative process than the one we have? We think not! We are proud to be Americans and we like what we’ve got! “American and proud of it!” so we like to proclaim.

There is no shame in being patriotic, is there? There is no wrong in supporting our nation’s cause, is there? There is no guilt in defending one’s homeland, is there? No, when looking straightforward from the human perspective, “No,” there is no shame, no wrong, and no guilt in simple loyal stand-by-your country” patriotism.

In fact, such patriotism calls forth all the highest virtues that a human being could muster—the courage to sacrifice one’s life for the protection and welfare of your fellow citizens, the strength to live and work and suffer together for one’s national honor and respect, and the commitment to obedience and action to do the bidding of a superior officer even if it means the loss of life or limb—courage, honor, loyalty, and faithfulness to the cause, a higher cause than our own peace and comfort, in order that others might have peace and comfort in the future.

With such lofty words and high aspirations it is hard to imagine that there is any higher calling or greater cause. Yet, does not one’s faith in Jesus as a Christian require an even higher allegiance, above and beyond mere nationalism? Does not the very nature of who Jesus is—Son of God, King of kings, Lord of Lords, Savior of the world—not to mention what He proclaimed and taught, require us to look into the heavens and own a greater allegiance and respond to the higher calling of obedience to the rule of God’s Kingdom, the Eternal Kingdom, of which Jesus Himself is Lord and King?

According to the apostle Paul, when we respond to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives, God transfers us from the power of darkness into the “kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13)

The apostle Peter writes to faithful followers of Jesus Christ who are dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. He calls them, “exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.” Specifically, Peter proclaims these Christians of the Roman Empire to be “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.” (1 Peter 2:9.) Furthermore, Peter uses words like “aliens and exiles to describe their earthly condition, while enjoying the privileges provided by the then great governing authority known as the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire.

I ask this of any and all believers, followers of Christ: what has the great priority, the Kingdom of God (Christ!) or the United States of America? What if this were not our homeland? What then? What if we were but mere strangers and aliens to this nation, citizens of a different land, owing allegiance to a different ruler and government, that government commanding a loyalty and obedience far superior than any earthly rule or kingdom can require? What then? Do we expect Chinese Christians to put China above the Kingdom of Christ? Should Chinese Christians support all decisions by their governing leaders even though it may hurt citizens of the U.S.?

Acts 16:19-24 & 35-40 and 22:22-29

Take note, I was born an American, in a great American city, and I was born of parents who were also born as American citizens. In fact, I am a third and fourth generation American citizen. And I want you to know that I am glad of it, and that I am happy to be able to say that, “Yes, I am an American, born and raised so.” But, I am glad and proud of being an American in the same way that the Apostle Paul was glad and proud of being able to say that he was a Roman Citizen, born and bred.

If you read the New Testament carefully you might be surprised to discover that the Apostle Paul used his Roman Citizenship wisely but prudently, respecting its laws and its heritage. Indeed, the Apostle Paul often invoked his rights as a Roman citizen. He was loyal and faithful to Rome’s government and laws as much as was possible within him. Nevertheless, Paul’s prior and primary loyalty was to an even greater master and ruler, the one he had come to know as the Lord Jesus, God’s anointed King of all kings.

Paul seemed to understand that Rome was not an end in itself. In short, Paul knew that Roman Empire would not last forever. The Roman Empire was a means to an end, not an end in itself. Rome was not the destiny.

My point therefore is twofold. First, in light of the call to national pride, support, and a unified effort to defend our nation’s security, we must not lose sight of our primary loyalty to a King and Kingdom that is NOT of this world. The Bible clearly says that all who follow Jesus give themselves over to a greater loyalty and allegiance than any temporal government or nation. Jesus is a foreign King to all nations because His kingdom is not of this world. Our ultimate loyalty is to Christ and the “the Kingdom of Heaven.”

2 Peter 3:3-13

From a Biblical point of view, if you will, history is moving toward an irreversible clash with destiny, a rendezvous with the end times sooner or later. Not wanting to be an alarmist, nor claiming to be a prophet, I do know that the Bible is clear about the fact that there will be an “end of the world,” as we know it. And I do know that the Bible is clear about the fact that certain things are going to take place as we race headlong toward its final destiny with God. For example, we are clearly told that “nation will rise against nation,” and there will be famines and earthquakes and that the world will suffer great ecological disasters.

So why am I telling you this? Do I want to sound the panic button and send everyone off to the mountains with fear in their hearts, like Chicken Little crying out that “the sky is falling, the sky is falling”?

No, what I want to do is to bring an eternal and heavenly perspective to very real but time-bound earthly events. I want to say that, as Christians, we must uphold a far greater cause and speak of a more far-reaching message than any one nation’s honor or livelihood. For example, what shall we do or say in response to events that may lead us down the road toward an international one-world government, guarantying peace to the nations, but will be ruled by what the Bible describes as the Anti-Christ?

The way to avoid losing our way through the events of history as history unfolds itself toward the final destiny of humanity toward the second coming of Christ and the eventual “end of the world” as we know it, is to keep our focus on the Lordship of Christ and do and act as HE would have us do and act at all times in world history.

Are there any guidelines?
1. We can recognize that we are caught between two kingdoms and two loyalties. That our first loyalty is to the Kingdom of Heaven and our second loyalty is to our nation, not the other way around!
2. We can obey the laws of our nation, work along side our neighbors and fellow citizens in the effort to bring safety, peace, and welfare to our communities and learn to be inclusive, without compromising our own faith commitments.
3. We can learn to first respond always to the higher calling of Jesus—to be a people whose citizenship is not of this world, whose citizenship is of a Kingdom not yet come in its fullness, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

Therefore
1. We must always be prepared for events that may meet the prophetic fulfillment of Biblical proportions. So for example, are we ready to be persecuted for our faith if need be?
2. We must try to act always as Christ would act:
a. Maintain the integrity of our faithfulness to Jesus Christ even while showing love and respect to people of differing faiths and traditions.
b. Make a distinction between national interests and the interests and purposes of God through Jesus Christ, recognizing that our national government and the Kingdom of Christ are not one and the same.
c. And finally, understand that Christians disagree as to the particular level of participation in choosing to fight for one’s country. In times of peace and prosperity this disagreement bothers very few people. But in times of war, it becomes a very serious issue. Do we or do we not fight along side our fellow citizens when our country is called to war? Many faithful and obedient followers of Christ will say, “But of course we do, without question!” But there other faithful believers (Church of the Brethren, Quakers, Mennonites, Amish, etc.) who will say, “My obedience to Christ tells me that I cannot pick up the sword to fight in any war for any cause outside the cause of Christ and the coming of His kingdom.”

It is neither wise nor beneficial for Christianity to be perceived on by the world as siding with any one government, political persuasion, economic system, or national interest. We are missing the point as followers of Christ if we let any worldly or earthly authority become larger, greater, and/or more immediate to us than the authority of Christ Himself in our lives. It’s that simple. I believe that the conservative Evangelical Christian Right movement is in danger of doing exactly that. And that is not good for the Church, of which Jesus is the Head.