Us and Them
Living for the Kingdom in an increasingly divided world
Flags on lamp posts. Violent clashes in the USA between heavily armed Federal immigration officers and local protesters. Racial slurs becoming permissible again in arguments between politicians. Is Western society becoming more divided or is it just that old tensions are being uncovered? Will group identities become reasons for violent conflict?
More important, what is our response as Christians?
There seem to be two sides emerging in the “culture wars.” The more “conservative” end of the spectrum value national identity (usually a version of the identity of the majority, which is to be imposed on everyone) and dismiss artificial attempts to respect differences. On the other side, the “liberal” tendency to want justice for minorities uses special interventions to promote diversity, but still sees it as a conflict, without genuine respect for all.
The problem is that it is easy for Christians to side with one of these without allowing the Jesus revealed in Scripture to direct our thinking and allegiances.
“Christian nationalists” have become very vocal, using Christian markers of identity to justify suppressing minorities. At worst, they use Christian language to argue all Muslims are dangerous and “immigrants” should be returned to their home countries. “Christian liberals” have also mis-used proof texts to justify fighting back and ideas that are no more Christian in origin.
Jesus, however, refused to identify with any of the group identities of the day. There were:
- the powerful (Roman occupiers and their local allies, the Herodians),
- the nationalists (Pharisees who tried to be pure Jews and ignore the world or Zealots who were armed terrorists/freedom fighters)
- the liberals who tried to be all things to all people (Sadducees had some power through wealth and accommodated the Romans, Pharisees and Herodians).
Jesus was persecuted by them all, because he refused to identify with any of them.
Instead he proclaimed the Kingdom of God, a threat to all the political and religious identities! The powerful were threatened and the Zealots were outraged because he insisted on loving enemies - he even called Judas “Friend” when he came with an armed mob to arrest him.
How do we, as agents of the coming Kingdom, respond to being forced into one camp or the other?
By agreeing with Paul that our first loyalty is to the King.
“Our citizenship is in heaven,” (Philippians 3:20) does not mean our true home is in the future in some other place, so we can ignore this world. Instead, Paul had a clear view of heaven being the spiritual dimension in which we live now. We can see the unseen spiritual realities and as we focus on Jesus, we become more like him (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 4:18).
We belong to a Kingdom where love is the main characteristic, not power, division or domination. We have other identities too (ethnic and national and more local as well). But if we want to love God first we will inevitably want to love our neighbour, however different they may be - the whole of the Law hangs on these two commands (Matthew 22:40). Loving our neighbour does not mean agreeing with everything they say and do, but it does mean
- a radical respect for their identity and them as individuals, just as Jesus showed;
- a radical hospitality, just as Jesus welcomed outcasts and strangers;
- seeing each person, even enemies, as people God made in his image and loves unconditionally.
Jesus was persecuted by all the groups in his society. Maybe we will be too. But, if we have the power of the Spirit at work in us, we can genuinely call even our persecutors “Friend!”
- Chris Horton