The Flag or the Cross...
Just the other day, I had discussion with a good friend of mine about the question of displaying an American flag in church. Its tough to talk about issues like this in America, especially among evangelicals, because of this pervasive notion that America is a country founded on Christian values, which many times turns into the suggestion that the United States of America is "God's Country." The problem is that it becomes hard to talk about this idea without either enraging someone or, at the very least, hurting their feelings and making them perceive you as an ungrateful citizen of the United States. Ultimately, I am just reticent, to say the least, to affirm that America is somehow in a privileged position with respect to our creator. Now, before I go any further I want to say emphatically that I do place a high value on the freedom that has been provided for us in the United States, and I do realize and respect the fact that many women and men have paid the ultimate price to sustain these privileges; To them I offer the utmost respect and due honor.
With that said, there is still a question about displaying the American flag in a church; a lot of evangelical churches display the flag, which leads to a variety of tough, preliminary questions about the relationship between church and state. In addition, the U.S. "Flag Code" places a rather presumptuous requirement on churches opting to display the flag; the flag code actually requires that the flag be given the greatest honor and prominence in the church setting?!
Consider the following excerpt from the flag code:
"When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium on or off a podium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman's or speaker's right as he faces the audience."
So for those of you to whom this presents a challenge, I offer the following questions; if we are required to give the U.S. flag the ultimate place of prominence, what does that communicate about the content of our faith? In other words, what does this say about what we value most? Secondly, what in turn is communicated about the symbol of the cross, which is supposed to function as a representation and reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ paid for our freedom from the power of sin and death?
As much as I don't want to dishonor our country, I must boldly assert that I am more concerned with avoiding the possibility of dishonoring our Lord.
4 COMMENTS...:
Some American Christians do have a promised land complex regarding the USA. I don't get it. This isn't our, or their, home.
Hebrews 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
A girl I know once told me that she actually heard someone argue that America is the New Jerusalem on the basis of the middle three letters of Jerusalem...
Also, I have experienced this tension while substitute teaching at a Christian high school. Each chapel session begins with a pledge to the American flag followed by a pledge to the Christian flag. All hoakiness of the Christian flag aside, don't school leaders see any tension there? Certainly it is worth asking what it means to pledge "allegiance" to America, and what in the world "under God" means in the pledge.
Anyway, good point Norm. Seeing as this is another part of Christian subculture, I am guessing that Kimball will get to it later in They Like Jesus .
I have long been troubled about displaying any one nation's flag exclusively in church. I have been in churches that display dozens of flags of nations and it doesn't bother me so much. Why? Because I believe that the people of God in community are a functioning outpost of the Kingdom and the Kingdom is not a national entity but is made up of believers of "every tongue, tribe, nation...".
So, I have imagined an African or Latin American or (fill in the national blank) believer walking into one of our churches to fellowship with his fellow members of a transcendent, timeless company of God's people and is then presented with a single flag -- no matter which one. Shouldn't the symbols of our identity as those who gather in a particular place be the symbols of our true basis for fellowship and unity such as the cross, and not a flag?
This doesn't mean we should ever disrespect our flag or that it isn't proper to pledge allegience or show respect to our worthy national symbols. It just means that, when the church comes together, we should be ALL about the Kingdom of God in all its boundless expression, in my opinion.
I am no great theologian, I have thought for several years now (since I first turned to Christ for salvation) that it is simply wrong to "pledge" one's allegiance to any but God. Besides the fact that when you look at the politician's elected to "serve" (let's not get into *who* indeed they may be serving here) and the words and actions they conduct in their "service", our government (like any government) is fallible. It is not our God. I am thankful to live in a country like the United States where we may freely worship, but we are so spiritually lethargic that most of us do not even do that very well.
But to "pledge you allegiance" to a flag seems to me to directly violate the first two commandments so blatantly that I am almost amazed I have never seen a Christian take to task this daily ritual in our schools when it seems to stand in direct contradiction to the commandments of God's word. It is interesting that an atheist will take his case all the way to the Supreme Court because the words "under God" happen to be in the rote script our kids rehearse daily, but I can't think of any Christian arguments that our children are basically placing the flag and their country OVER God (despite what the words might say). There is no question that the motive behind this "pledge" is "patriotism" (i.e. to honor and fellowship with the United States goverernment) and not religion (to honor and fellowship with God). In fact, the "under God" portion of the pledge was not added until much later on.
And not only does this practice of reciting the pledge daily seem to violate the first two commandments that have everything to do with revering and honoring God, they also stand in direct contrast to Peter's message to the early church and the first Christians:
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
1 Peter 2:9-11
And there are several other passages in scripture that refer to living like aliens or strangers, and not finding your identity in the world (or the culture) where you happen to be, but in the realm of God.
Pride is the first shade of selfishness, and selfishness is truly the root of all sin. It seems to me that we, here in America, encourage pride at all costs. "Proud to be an American"--most Christians sing this song proudly, too. But Paul rightly said, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
It is too bad that we put more stock in modern politicians and songwriters today than we do the first apostles who established the Church when we set in place the building blocks of our faith. Christ Himself warned us to build our house upon the rock, but there are many who with pride and pledges call themselves Christians, but who are far from being "poor in spirit, meek, or lowly" in any form.
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