The Kingdom of God and the Nation State

Photo by Josh Eckstein on Unsplash

I love our country. I am a veteran and I have actively served in a combat zone. I have prayed over more heroes draped under American flags than I care to share.

And, one of the most challenging aspects of the church is the temptation to equate a national holiday with a Christian Holiday.

I served in a church that felt that strongly about national holidays. Veteran’s Day, the 4th of July, and of course, Memorial Day were all expected to be treated as if they were part of the Liturgical Calendar.

One of the fiercest battles was when I removed the American flag from the preaching platform, and I stopped adorning the altar with mini American flags on national holidays.

It was a real struggle, and people said some not-nice things. Some people even said I didn’t care about America.

It took me a couple of years, but eventually, I got my theology figured out how to respond to someone when this topic floated to the service.

Now I say this:

I care deeply for our country. I would put my life on the line for it. I have buried its sons & daughters who fought for it. The care I have for our country pales in comparison to the belief I have in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God knows no boundaries, and won’t be restricted by a two-party system.

The country we live in gives us amazing rights and privileges. However, the Kingdom of God I pray for will change souls for eternity.

And just in case you are wondering, I made a compromise in that church. Put as many flags as you want on the outside of the church, but on the inside of the church, we will do our best to make it like the Kingdom of God. Every tongue will confess, every knee will bow - Jesus Christ is Lord.

I am a patriot. I have a flag in my yard as we speak. I am going to give the invocation at the Memorial Day Ceremony in my town.

Yet, all of this is nothing compared to how I feel about the Gospel. The Gospel is bigger than everything, and I don’t want to stop at one country when it comes to the Gospel. I want the world to know Jesus.

This Memorial Day, I want to encourage you to spend some time on your own theology around the nation and God. You don’t have to adopt mine, but be intentional about adopting something.

It will help build the Kingdom (and the nation) in the long run.