My Appeal to Heaven on Christian Nationalism
My Appeal to Heaven on Christian Nationalism? It’s a prayer. I ask God: “Spare America from rule by the MAGA-Moscow wing of the Republican Party!”
The pine tree’s appeal to heaven is not necessarily a supplication for God to establish America as a Christian state. The appeal to heaven does not procure the divine right of a king. The appeal to heaven does not entreat Amon-Re to empower the Pharoah or petition Allah to grant theocratic authority to the calif. Might we legitimately interpret the pine tree as an invocation of divine justice to render judgment against our nation when it sins? To appeal to heaven on Christian nationalism could very well petition God to render judgment against earth on behalf of a heavenly dose of justice, compassion, and peace.
Philosopher John Locke, you may recall, in 1690 declared “an appeal to heaven” would provide a divine right for revolution against an unjust human government. All human governements are in fact human constructions, Locke held. Theologically, in contrast to human construction, the Kingdom of God provides a higher standard of justice. “And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven.”
An appeal to heaven on Christian Nationalism
“Over the past couple of decades the Appeal to Heaven Flag has become a symbol of Christian nationalism,” observes Barbara O’Brien in an informative Patheos blog post. And Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has been excoriated in the press for flying this flag at his summer home. Might Christian nationalists mistakenly think that this is flag signifies theocracy?
If the Christian nationalists in our neighborhood fly the “An Appeal to Heaven” flag, that flag just may be saying the opposite of what they think it does. Rather than ascribing divine authority to the Washington government, this flag places the Washington government under judgment by divine standards.
Conclusion
Human government is a human construction. Included here is democracy. This human dimension makes democracy subject to megalomania, to graft, to injustice. In short, to sin. It is incumbent on our national leaders to aspire to the highest standards of justice. But, when they fall short, each appeal to heaven asks for God’s standard of justice to judge our own.
God does not take the side of one sinful faction — one class, one race, one gender, one religion, one political party — against an opposing sinful faction. Rather, God’s justice applies to us all. So also does God’s grace, love, and compassion.
My Appeal to Heaven on Christian Nationalism? It’s a prayer. I ask God: “Spare America from rule by the MAGA-Moscow wing of the Republican Party!”
PT 3242 My Appeal to Heaven on Christian Nationalism
Christian Nationalism Resources
▓
For Patheos, Ted Peters posts articles and notices in the field of Public Theology. He is a Lutheran pastor and emeritus professor at the Graduate Theological Union. His single volume systematic theology, God—The World’s Future, is now in the 3rd edition. He has also authored God as Trinity plus Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society as well as Sin Boldly: Justifying Faith for Fragile and Broken Souls. He recently published. The Voice of Public Theology, with ATF Press. See his website: TedsTimelyTake.com and Patheos blog site on Public Theology.
▓
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In