The Christian faith has almost as many varieties and emphases as an intricate mosaic. Most of these differences center on forms of worship, organizational structure, liturgy (or the lack thereof), and musical tastes. A few are doctrinal in nature. Among all the differences, however, there remains an uncompromising loyalty and obedience to Jesus Christ. That is, after all, what identifies us as "Christians" - - the ones belonging to Christ.
This loyalty is expressed in numerous ways. Among the earliest Christians it was the image of a fish, recalling the words of Jesus to Peter and Andrew: "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Mark 1:17)". For many today, it is centered in the image of the Cross. For others it is the Bible, the Word of God, in which the stories and the teachings of Jesus are found. Some would even opt for no physical symbols or objects but instead desire to emphasize the lifestyle of the believer as a reflection of the values and teachings of Jesus. Either way, the centrality of Christ is essential.
The beautiful thing about this focus on Jesus is his universal appeal. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son....(John 3:16)". The Call of Christ is extended to all persons. No one is excluded. Jesus is an Equal Opportunity Savior who does not discriminate based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, health, nationality or any other means. Such barriers are man-made. The Kingdom of God is far above these.
It is this universal appeal of the Gospel that causes me to cringe when I walk into a worship center/sanctuary/church building and find the flag of the United States proudly on display. Often it is flanked by the so-called Christian flag. Both are a huge distraction to the worship of the One True God. What is it doing there? What theological purpose could it possibly serve? How could God be glorified, exalted, praised, worshipped, or honored by the presence of such secular symbols of authority and sovereignty?
I must admit that I am a member of the Church of the Brethren. Ours is a Pietist denomination now 302 years in the making, a product of the late German Reformation. Early on we have embraced the theology of the Anabaptists, a radical theology that takes the words and teachings of Jesus literally and places him at the very center of our faith and practice. To declare "Jesus is Lord" is to proclaim our undivided loyalty to Jesus as the Son of God and the Savoir of our souls. To him and him alone we will be faithful.
Such a position has no room for shared devotion. When Jesus said "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other (Matthew 6:24)" he was not talking only about wealth and materialism, though that was part of the focus. Our Lord was referring to all the powers and influences of this life that compete with our stated devotion to God. Jesus asks for an all-or-nothing commitment from those who would follow him. However, this single-minded focus is being challenged on every possible front. And in this country, especially, at this time in history one of the strongest and most deceptive challenges comes from a thing called patriotism.
It is at this point that I find myself offended by the presence of flags in a church building. Let's consider for a moment just what the flag of the United States represents.
· Ownership. The flag is displayed over property that is declared to be under the ownership and control of the Federal government. Post Offices, government buildings, military bases, embassies located on foreign soil and similar examples illustrate this point.
· Allegiance/devotion. When a soldier marches under the banner of his country's flag he declares that he will do anything to serve the needs of that country. He will even die for it, if necessary. There can be no wavering on this point. There can be no divided loyalty. No army could possibly succeed without such a commitment. The astonishing thing about the current revolution in Libya is that a large number of soldiers have denounced Col. Moammar Gadhafi and joined the forces of the popular revolution. In doing so they declare that their country means more to them than any single person. Interestingly, they continue to fly the Libyan flag.
· Pride. The sight of the flag invokes pride for one's country and all it stands for.
· Military strength. The flag is uniquely and irrevocably intertwined with a nation's military force.
I suppose more could be said on this topic. The four points described above, however, are sufficient to cause me to have serious concerns about the presence of flags in our churches. Let me offer some counter arguments for each of the above.
· Ownership. "You are not your own. You were bought at a price. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)". Our church buildings are no more the property of the government than our faith is. As believers in Christ we have been bought by the blood of our Savior. We are exclusively his. "[God] anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)". "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14)". Our ownership belongs to God, not man.
· Allegiance/devotion. "If anyone would come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross, and come follow me (Matthew 16:24)". "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62)". These are just two of the many quotes from Jesus that clearly show the undivided loyalty expected of the follower of Jesus. Other passages from the New Testament affirm such a position.
· Pride. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before the fall. (Proverbs 16:18)". "Unless you...become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4)". Again we could list multiple passages that all say the same thing. God honors the humble because the humble understand their proper position before the Living God.
· Military strength. "Not by power nor by might, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Zechariah 4:6)". He who told Peter to put his sword away also declared to Pilate "My kingdom is not of this world... (John 18:36)". Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is the antithesis of militarism. Does it not follow, therefore, that the presence of any national flag in a place dedicated to the worship of the God of the Universe should be seen as blasphemous?
There is perhaps another point that should be considered. A flag represents an exclusive view. It stands for a well-defined territory complete with boundaries. Such boundaries both keep members in and non-members out. This runs contradictory to the Great Commission and the Gospel message that salvation through Jesus is for all persons.
Finally, I would argue that as great as the United States is, our history has been less than perfect. In fact, we have a long history of ethical and moral violations that continue to this day. For all its merits the United States is hardly worth our worship. So what is its foremost symbol doing in our places of worship?
For the first 220 years of Brethren history all flags were absent from our places of worship. Beginning with the fundamentalist movement of the 1920's a few isolated exceptions appeared. Since September 11, 2001, however, there is a growing tendency for flags to be placed in Brethren centers of worship, much to my dismay. Obviously this coincides with the popular growth in the spirit of patriotism. I am not anti-American. But I will not compromise my loyalty and my service to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not symbolically nor in practice.
gdg February 27, 2011
Your thoughts are welcome if offered in a spirit of love and respect.
We need not agree but we can still maintain integrity through healthy dialog.
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