Jeremy L. Berg

Scot McKnight at Jesus Creed is raising that touchy but crucial issue of national idolatry. I love America, democracy and the freedoms we enjoy in this great nation.  I listen to my share of political talk and love keeping up on the latest debates.  BUT….I also see many Christians who are far more interested and devoted to the political conversation than the things of God — Jesus, the gospel, the Kingdom of God, the ministry of the church, etc.

Here’s Scot’s challenge to us all today.  Let us look within and pray that our hopes are not in the state but in Christ and the church as his chosen agent for real change in the world.

Christians become idolatrous when they believe more in the State than the Church (not to mention Christ), when their focus for change is on what the State can accomplish instead of the church locally embodying that change, when their energies are spent electing one candidate vs. another instead of on the ministries at their church, and when they find their time spent at their local church less than time spent reading news about the State/election/parties or working for political change.

Patriotism is idolatrous when our hope is in the State and when our “agent” of change is the State, or the election and a specific candidate. Patriotism becomes idolatrous when our politic becomes State and not Church. For the follower of Jesus, the hope of the world is Jesus Christ and his embodiment in the Church, the People of Jesus.

Thoughts or feedback?  If your answer is ‘both’ then keep reading Scot’s post because he addresses that common response as well.