This sermon was preached on July 4th weekend. July 4 is Independence Day in the US. Please note the essay alos posted following this message.
You have heard of Robin Hood and Lancelot, but have you heard of Prester John?
You shouldn’t feel bad if you haven’t. The story of Prester John belongs to the late middle ages, the twelfth century to be more precise.
Prester John was reputed to be the king of a nation far to the east of Europe. His kingdom was said to be one marked by justice and prosperity. Its citizens displayed the highest moral character. You see, Prester John was said to be a Christian priest-king who ruled his kingdom by the principles of Christianity. In the West it was widely hoped that this mysterious and powerful king would come to the aid of his fellow Christians in Europe and help them defeat the Muslims who were threatening to overrun the continent.
Of course, this story of a nation founded upon and operating entirely on Christian principles was a myth. It was a myth, but many Christians have longed to see what might happen if such a nation could be established.
This is probably why the image of the United States being born as a “Christian nation” appeals to so many.
Prominent Christian leaders pose the question: What if America was a Christian nation again? Such a question obviously rests on the assumption that America was once a “Christian” nation.
People react to the claim that America was born a Christian nation in a variety of ways.
--Some say, “How wonderful.” These are those good folks who imagine Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and the others as paragons of piety, men who modeled orthodoxy and Biblical morality.
--Some say, “What do you mean?” They know enough history to ask for clarification, since it’s clear Jefferson wasn’t an orthodox Christian in any sense of the word and they’ve heard of the number of children Franklin had fathered around the colonies.
--Some say, “No way.” These folks look at the founding documents, like the Constitution, and find no evidence that Christianity was ever the national religion.
--Some say, “So what?” They will listen to any discussion of the “good old days” and respond by saying, “that was then, this is now.”
I confess to some sympathy for this last group. When I hear radio evangelists or even good friends talk about how America was once a Christian nation, I wonder what they hope to accomplish.
Do they expect the ACLU will suddenly decide to defend those school districts that allow prayer before football games, sponsor baccalaureate services, or begin the school day with Bible ready before the announcements? Would the freedom from religion group sponsoring the “meet the atheist” billboards around the city change their message to “On second thought, I’ll see you in church this Sunday?”
If it could be proven that America was intended to be a “Christian” nation, the embodiment of the Kingdom of Prester John, many Americans would find it curious but not change their lives in any way.
The Bible never tells Christians to stay out of politics, but it never seems to expect much from the state. The Bible tells us that rulers with integrity are better than rulers without integrity, but makes it plain that God’s Kingdom doesn’t rise or fall depending on who is in office.
Jesus doesn’t say, Elect the right people and things will change. Jesus says, Be the right people and things will change. In a world where there is so much darkness, we are to be “light.” In a world where there is so much corruption, we are to be “salt.”
That’s not as easy as pushing a button in a voting booth but it is ultimately more effective.
Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we can be indifferent to our state and its leaders, I’m saying they’re not as effective in bringing change as they would like us to believe. We should insist the state promote fair and just policies, but a climate where fairness and justice prevail will come when the culture is transformed.
That kind of transformation will come when we are the salt and light Jesus talks about.
Again, that’s not easy.
I’d heard about the “I’m an atheist” billboards before I saw one. I saw it down of Fifth Avenue. It had the picture of a young Chinese girl—I’ll call her Lisa. Lisa was quoted as saying, “Compassion is my religion.” It then described her as “student, compassionate—atheist.” The signs are sponsored by a group called “The Freedom from Religion Foundation.”
I admit when I read Lisa’s “Compassion is my religion” testimony, I thought, “That’s good because during the past century, atheism has been far from compassionate.” Even if you take the almost certainly inflated figure of five million dying in the Crusades, the 20th century death toll in the name of atheism is still many times greater. The Crusades were spread over several centuries, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot did their work in less than a century.
The truth is, if this young atheist who makes compassion the hallmark of her religion were to look back one more century, to the nineteenth, she would discover something else interesting. Lisa would discover the loudest voices, in America and the UK, to protest slavery were the Christians. In fact, it was the century’s most famous atheist—Charles Darwin—who believed white Europeans were naturally superior and, therefore, other inferior races would eventually disappear. [1]
Still, my aim is not to debate the virtues of theism versus atheism.
But after my initial reaction to the sign, I began thinking. Is anyone going to follow this young girl around to observe her? Will they be there when she sits down with a salad at Panera’s to see if she slips up and prays before she eats? Will they try to overhear what she tells a distraught friend who has experienced a loss to see if she says, “God loves you and so do I?” No, they’ll take her profession of faith at face value. They’ll accept her claims to be able to deduce that you should be compassionate despite there being no God.
Now, suppose a Christian or a group of Christians were to put up similar signs. Let’s say the next time I’m driving down 5th I see a new billboard with the picture of a young woman named Sally Shiner. Let’s say she’s depicted as saying, “I’m a believer” and then is identified as a Christian.
I hope I’m not being paranoid but I suspect that Sally would soon find her friends and acquaintance watching her. They would want to know if her Christianity made a difference. Was she the genuine article?
History shows that if people like Sally live their faith with integrity—really be salt and light—they will do greater good than people like that young Lisa, even if those people are trying to live beyond the implications of their creed.
But suppose Sally does blow it? Let’s say she utterly fails in some way to behave according to her Christian principles. Now, I’ve never heard of an atheist like Lisa forgetting that she doesn’t believe in God and saddenly starting to pray. But sometimes the best of Christians forgets and behaves in a non-Christian way. I’m not sure how an atheist would handle forgetting there’s no God, but we Christians can deal with a fundamental failure to live up to our commitment. We can confess and seek forgiveness. That’s just not available to the forgetful atheist.
I hope all those folks on the “I’m an atheist” billboards appreciate their freedom to proclaim their faith. I hope they remember it’s a freedom bought by a lot of men and women who were raised in Sunday school, baptized into their churches, carried Bibles into the war zone, and were brought back home so American churches could help their families grieve over them.
In many nations, those billboards, the real and the imagined, couldn’t be displayed. The nation born on the Fourth of July was the first to promise that freedom to both believers and nonbelievers.
Whether that nation was intended to be a Christian nation or not, we Christians are intended to be salt and light here and now.
What does this mean for us as Christians who happen to be Americans?
1. We need to cherish the opportunities we have to participate in our nation’s life.
When I visited Australia several years ago our host, Don Sams, was concerned about a couple of matters. He believed he was certain to be called before the local city council to explain something he had done. Don, because he was out of town, had not voted in a recent election. The law demanded that he vote or have a good reason why he hadn’t. Don was afraid he would be fined if his excuse for not voting wasn’t good enough.
I hope we never make voting mandatory. Too many Americans would enter the booth and blindly pull levers just out of spite.
Instead, I think it would be better if every American, especially Christians, would see the amazing privilege they have in participating in the life of their nation.
Paul never had an opportunity to vote but I’m pretty sure he would have, even if he had to vote absentee while he was on those mission trips.
Voting is a gift which many Christians around the world can only dream about. When Christians neglect their privilege and responsibility to vote, they are showing contempt for that gift.
2. We need to give careful consideration to how we respond to situations which challenge our Christian world-view.
American Christians who want to make an impact on their culture can’t forget the call to be civil to those who may disagree with us on crucial issues like abortion. How we speak our opposition can determine how well we are influence our opponents.
3. Keep in mind that Christians may sometimes disagree on political issues but they should always seek to avoid being disagreeable.
I believe some political issues are so closely linked to the clear moral mandates found in the Bible that Christians ought to be united in taking the side which supports the biblical principle. At the same time, there are issues on which Christians may disagree without compromising their commitment to the Bible. For example, Christians might easily disagree about how best to help the poor.
When Christians discuss their disagreements they must avoid taking positions which suggest they have abandoned their commitment to Christ.
4. Be confident in appealing to those laws which protect our rights.
Several times in the Book of Acts Paul had occasion to claim the protection of Roman law for himself. As a citizen of Rome he had certain rights which he would not allow to be violated. It’s appropriate for us to do the same.
Sometimes overzealous school administrators have tried to keep Christian students from expressing their faith. In most cases they’ve overstepped their authority and misunderstood the law. Even the ACLU has been involved in defending these students.
5. Be open to the possibility that God may want you to be directly involved in politics.
Most Christians have concluded that the old notions which said believers can’t be involved in politics are no longer valid, if it ever was in a free society.
There may be a place for you in local government, serving on local boards or councils. For some Christians, there may even be a place in state or national government.
Another area of service may be that of advisor to elected officials. Several years ago, Pat and I got to know a woman named Sharon. Sharon was injured in a tragic accident when she was twelve years old. The accident left her partially paralyzed. She had spent her adult life in a wheel chair, facing the challenges which most handicapped persons once knew. Then, Sharon had the opportunity to become an advisor to the governor of Texas. She helped his office create a laws and policies which opened new doors to the handicapped. She looked upon it as a ministry.
6. Never forget that the gospel remains the greatest change-agent available to us.
Support the sharing of the gospel. Share the gospel yourself. Pray that the church which has the stewardship of the gospel might know real spiritual awakening. That’s one of the finest ways to have our prayer for God to bless America to be answered. Remember, C. S. Lewis once said, “He who converts his neighbour has performed the most practical Christian-political act of all.”
Christians, repentant, revived, and led by the Spirit, will change our culture.
[1] Not everyone agrees that Darwin was an atheist. During his lifetime he sometimes referred to himself as an agnostic. Yet, in an autobiography, written to be published posthumously, he seems to have denied all likelihood that God exists. In any case, given his naturalistic worldview, any “God” Darwin believed in would be so little involved in the world that he might as well be non-existent. The majority of modern atheists claim Darwin as a hero. I suspect Darwin’s occasional nods toward belief were pragmatic and designed to deflect criticism.
