Take It Personal: Part 2: Civil Religion

This is the second in a series of posts entitled, “Take It Personal.”  My goal is to examine the multitude of ways that “faith” is (mis)represented in this current cultural, geographical moment in particular, but I believe the underlying principles are eternal and apply to all cultures and time frames.  I also hope that this series will help expose that within the Church which is not lined up with true faith and give a correct representation of what Christianity really is to those who would consider themselves outsiders.

  

So for this post, personal faith is not civil nor political.

Civil religion can come in subtle forms . . . 

The tagline on my license plate reads “Sunshine State”, I intentionally choose that one instead of the one that reads “In God We Trust.”  Hopefully by the end of this post you’ll understand why I did that.

As someone who studied politics for four years, I tell you this, your most cynical suspicions are probably only half as suspicious as they should be.  Both because you may be holding cynicism about “the other guy”, but not “your guy” (which is deluding yourself) or because the truth is often even worse than what we believe.  It’s a very, very dirty game.

Yet, at the same point that I, a professing Christian, am saying this about our political system, God is EVERYWHERE in it.  Every speech ends with “God bless America”, if the country goes into crisis the President is expected to encourage the whole country to pray, and religious rhetoric finds its way onto our coins and license plates.

. . . and more tacky ones.

While I’d agree with those who say America is heading into a post-Christian age, I don’t doubt for a minute that American civil religion will still be going strong 100 years from now.  Why? Because civil religion isn’t about Christ, it’s about politics, elections, and polarization (and admitting that this is what civil religion is really all about it a step in the right direction).

But, civil religion is not personal.  Adherents to civil religion are no more connected to Jesus or the truths of Christianity than a delicious (and inanimate) Waffle House waffle is. 

The clearest example of this comes when the media covers the moral failure of some prominent politician . . . and the fact that they love it all the more when that politician was a family-values, prayer-in-schools-proclaiming swindler.  They love it.  And the ratings and sales would suggest we love it too.

Now, this isn’t to discount that some of these examples may have made legitimate mistakes for which they are truly repentant for and have changed, but I’d suggest that more often than not what we have here is proof that civil religion does not equal personal faith.

When that politician falls it’s not a failure of Christianity to transform a rebellious soul, it’s the failure of powerless Americanianity to transform a rebellious soul.  I’d suggest that this person has never truly made a commitment to Christ, that their religious platitudes could all be translated to mean one thing: “Vote for me.”

That isn’t Christianity.  In fact, it’s an affront to Christianity.  It’s an attempt to use Christianity as a tool, but Jesus Christ will be no one’s flag.  

He will be no one’s flag.

Political affiliation, license plates, and keeping “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance have no more effect on your eternal destiny or your adoption as a Son or Daughter of God than the amount of syrup I put on my delicious Waffle House waffle does (Can you tell I haven’t been to WH in awhile?)

No, instead, for faith to be real, it must be personal.  There must be a volitional commitment.  It must lead to a relationship of transformation.

We all place our faith in things, those who place their faith in an American god (or a Turkish god or a Chinese god, don’t think we’re alone in this problem) are still far from the Truth.  The only place true Christianity ever has (or ever will) teach that our faith can be placed is in a Person.

Jesus Christ isn’t going to protect the Constitution, He isn’t going to lower your taxes, and He’s not going to grow the economy, His concern is much greater.  His administration will last much longer than 2-4-6 years, and all his promises will come true.

Better yet, his work is already complete.  Our greatest problem is not political, it’s both much smaller and much larger, it’s personal and it’s cosmic.  We’ve chosen to reject and turn away from God, but in His abounding, inestimable love He sent his Son to come back and get us, and when we turn to Him in repentance and faith (a faith that is personal and relational) He calls us Daughter.  He calls us Son.

And though, he will be no one’s flag, he invites us to live under a banner that reads “It is finished” because everything that needed to be done or will ever need to be done to secure our place in his family has been accomplished.  And all his promises come true.