What would Jesus think about Independence day?

 

"To be a place of we the people, we have to be a place that is truly for all people, and how do we do this if we don't talk about the stolen land that America rests on?" -- Kaitlin B Curtice in Native

    The LORD proclaims: Stop at the crossroads and look around; ask for the ancient paths. 

    Where is the good way? Then walk in it and find a resting place for yourselves. 

    But you said, “We won’t go!” (Jeremiah 6:16 CEB)

July 4th is a time of celebration, where we commemorate the declaration of independence from the formerly British colonies, known as the United States.  In the nearly 250 years as an independent nation, it has grown from an economic experiment for the British empire to an empire that impacts nearly every economy on the planet.  With that growth, the quality of life for many has improved as indicated by lengthening life expectancies, disposable income, retirement systems, and accessible healthcare.  

While many will see the expansion as a sign of divine favor, and continued expansion as divine mission, July 4th begs us to interrogate our understanding of empire, and more importantly, God's approach to empire.

Often our histories are not critically examined but are accepted myths crafted by the powerful, that contain parts of the truth, while ignoring much of the truth.  Rev. William Barber II (White Poverty) describes the power of myths like this:

"Humans do not have the capacity to see everything the eye beholds, so we develop ways to focus our attention.  Myths are the shared stories that tell us what to see."

So, we have multiple myths which literally drive political activities, shape international policies, and literally develop how/why/where we live.  We have myths like the "Chosen Nation", first espoused by the Puritans that God has chosen people of European ancestry to control North America as an exceptional expression of God's will.  That would emerge as the doctrine of manifest destiny in the 19th century where people of European ancestry, who by this time identify by the social construct of White, expressed entitlement to all of the resources of North America.  The myth of the Innocent Nation insists that the purity and nobility of the American agenda and actions are above reproach.  We broke hundreds of treaties with Indigenous tribes, but according to this myth, we had legitimate and moral reasons for doing so, often to help them.

These myths never mention the taking land from Indigenous people who had lived on the continent and the Caribbean islands for thousands of years.  There is no room for the systematic genocidal, government supported and resourced attack on Indigenous people.  In the myths of the chosen nation, which we see highlighted in the declaration of independence where Indigenous people are described as "merciless savages" despite assisting the earliest European settlers.  In the myths of a chosen nation, any resistance to White entitlement is eliminated with horrific brutality and violence, based upon their co-opting Biblical narratives, such as those found in the book of Joshua.  Resistance, particularly armed and violent resistance is not seen as courageous or honoring, but proof of their ignorance and "savagery".  Contrast this with the arm resistance of the English settlers to Britain and its perception.

16th century Spanish Priest Bartoleme De Las Casas rebelled against the enslavement, brutality and exploitation that he saw in early North American settlements.  The settler colonialists were given the power to steal, kill, and subjugate through the papal doctrine of discovery.  He reported back to the Vatican:

"Therefore, let those who, under the pretext of spreading the faith, invade, stead, and keep the possessions of others by force of arms--let them fear God, who punishes perverse endeavors."   

Empires promote mythical understanding of reality to convince its citizenry that its presence is absolutely essential for stability, safety, quality of life, and prosperity.  Palestinian theologian Mitri Raheb states that "Empires create their own theologies to justify their occupation.  They create matrices of control for people and goods."  Early settler colonialists used twisted interpretation of scriptures to claim Indigenous land, and to dehumanize Indigenous people, often in the name of Jesus. Enslaved Africans were brutalized with justification through religious institutions, who used myths to support every type of cruelty one can imagine.

This is why it is impossible for me to celebrate the independence of the nation without mourning those whose lands, bodies, and cultures were destroyed so that we can have the American empire.   Yet, the truth is often invisible to those who are most benefiting from empire:

"To participate in the liturgy of empire is to be unable to see the ways in which we are both agents and targets of oppression." (Weiss-Daniels, Resisting Empire)

The fusion of empire promotion and Christianity is deep and often times so intertwined that people do not recognize it.  Christian nationalism (which is a global phenomenon but a powerful influence in the American context) is the conflation of partisan political, economic, and ideological vision with Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus' kingdom prioritizes the justice for the poor and marginalized, and transformed relationships in the development of communities of liberated people.  Contrast with the recent coercive attempts to force morality, while ignoring the suffering of people that Jesus identifies with deeply.

"If Jesus launched an empire-challenging, global transformative movement beginning with the poor and marginalized of Galilee, why does Christianity in the Twenty-first century share such close association with five hundred years of European colonization, genocide, and white nationalism in the Americas? What happened between the time of Jesus and the present moment, such that the radical message of Galilee became co-opted by colonialism and half a millennium of white supremacy cloaked in the raiment of Christianity." (Chao Romero, Brown Church).

Jesus loves all, but shows a special regard for immigrants, the poor, and all who are marginalized.  Ironically, the current Christian nationalistic vision diminishes and even blames these same groups, insisting that they are your enemies, who literally threatened your empire-guaranteed safety, benefits, and prosperity.  At the time of this writing, a recent presidential candidate debate revealed one candidate who persistently stated that immigrants were criminal, mentally ill, and seeking to undercut the job security of the American people.  None of his claims are supported by the facts but does support a xenophobic vision of America as the chosen nation, an Innocent nation and of course, as a Christian nation.

Coming back to July 4th, I believe the idea of a democracy; government that is by the people and for the people is consistent with kingdom ethics.  I believe that the United States has does some incredible things to advance the quality of life around the world, and for that, I am truly thankful, and I celebrate this.

However, the exploitation, the greed, the cruelty, and brutality that is justified in anything even remotely connected to Jesus is simply blasphemous. Catholic Theologian Jon Sobrino states that "idols are the absolutization of capital, the absolutization of national security, and the absolutization of political organizations...And fundamentally--and moreover the worst aspect of idolatry--is that these present-day idols--like the god Moloch--demand victims in order to survive."(Sobrino, Spiritual Writings).  The effect of making these things the highest priority, is that idolatry changes our understanding of the image of God and the person of Jesus, so that they reflect our desires, which are unfortunately shaped by our deepest fears.  Those fears are often shaped by the dominant myths of our communities.  

When Jesus spoke, he asked his listeners to repent (metanoia) and believe the good news that the Kingdom of God was at hand.  Repentance, particularly in Evangelical Christian circles, often means apologizing for something you have done wrong.  However, it's a much more significant term.  It literally means to change one's mind or change how one sees the world.  It is paradigm shifting perceptional change.  This is the key.  Jesus was telling his listeners (and us today), that to understand Jesus and the kingdom which he invites us into, one must change your perspective to see it and to understand the truly good news.  He uses political language (kingdom) to challenge the ongoing understanding and mythic powers of empire.

So, in my opinion, Jesus is honored when we celebrate the concept of democracy and its effects throughout the globe. He is also honored when we repent and interrogate our assumptions, critically challenge every story that makes us feel exceptional, renounce our impulses to act exceptionally and seek to repair and give restitution to those who we are benefiting from their destruction, exploitation and loss.  We need to stop thinking that God called us to dominate others as opposed to collaborating in a mutual stewardship.  Churches need to purge themselves of Christian nationalism, learning from the failed Christian nationalism of Europe in which the earliest European settlers were escaping from.  

I end with a quote from Alan Hirsch and Rob Kelly's book "Metanoia"

"As humans, we have the propensity to be bound by ideologies (reduced truth that claims to be the only defining truth) and by idolatries (reductions in our understanding of God, of making God small) that claim our allegiance.  The only way to be released from such ideologies and idolatries is to reevaluate them in light of a greater truth.  Metanoia involves a transformational cleansing of perception, which enables a new, expansive, way of viewing the world.  It is therefore essential for ongoing transformation and the growth in all knowledge, especially when it comes to experience the God who is ever greater.