False Messiahs and the True Kingdom

The United States Government is "shut down," or at least the Great Society parts which many have come to rely upon for survival. For some strange reason, the military and police are little affected. It's almost like war is the health of the State.

I agree with most of the usual Republican talking points against the welfare state. It is a usurpation of power not delegated to the federal government in the Constitution. It is a blatant appropriation of government revenue to buy votes for the incumbents from people made dependent on those benefits. It creates perverse incentives for beneficiaries and can reward unwise behavior. Of course, I have similar criticisms of Republican policies, too, but if you're in the GOP camp, we have at least some common ground, and we need to discuss deeper issues plaguing the American right.

For the past several decades, the Republican party has aggressively sought an alliance with the Christian community, most prominently with the Moral Majority. They still couch their ambitions to legislate America into a righteous society as if it will bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Hyperbole? Maybe, but not all the social media accusations of Christian Nationalism are lies, either. Politicians are all false messiahs demanding our worship in the end.

I challenge any readers who claim to be Christian, especially those on the political right, to weigh your party planks against scripture. In the false dichotomy of politics, especially in the US, this is often assumed to mean, "The other party is more righteous than yours." Not so here. I firmly believe governments are a counterfeit of healthy communities, Christian charity, and peaceful society. We do not worship the donkey, or the elephant, or even the bald eagle. We worship Jesus the risen King. Stop weighing one half-truth against another, Christian, and instead seek God's word.

Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (WEB)

I have seen many self-professed Christians mocking the poor and hungry suffering from the loss of government benefits. Yes, everything the government has is stolen, but we live in a society where people have been raised for generations to seek their temporal needs through government bureaucracy. These are people in need who can be shown a better way to live, not enemies to be mocked. I also see many Christians denounce "illegal immigrants" and celebrate their arrests. Have you forgotten that our Kingdom is not of this world? We have a higher law than the arbitrary dictates of men.

Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 (WEB)

If you claim to follow Christ, you should find conflict between scripture and politics. If you don't find conflict, re-examine your theology. If your political position demands you hate your neighbor, that's a good sign you need to reconsider. If you put more weight in what is "legal" than what is right, you have abandoned God. We must do good works, not because it is our path to salvation, but because we are a beacon of light in a dark world.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. James 2:14-17 (WEB)

We are to have faith, yes, but while we are not saved by works, it is that which the world sees. Do they see hate and fear, or do they see love and courage? Do they see violence and oppression, or do they see charity and healing? Choose this day who you will serve. Is your symbol a rag on a pole, or an empty tomb? The bride of Christ can't also chase the whore of Babylon. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Comfort the afflicted. Don't wait for some politician to throw some crumbs from their stolen banquet. Neither salvation of the soul nor satisfaction of wants can come from their evil ways.