The life of Christ turns the world’s idea of power on its head. He didn’t defend himself at his trial or get angry at the mob during his crucifixion. He held to compassion, and even under the most extreme pressure, the cry of his heart was ‘Father forgive them; they know not what they do’. In everything he did, Christ reflected the core principles of grace that overflow from the heart of God. For many, this was impossible to understand at the time, just as it is today – ‘you worship a weak God who allowed himself to be executed?’ If we want to serve the Kingdom of God, we need to release our hold on the world’s idea of strength and recognise that God’s is entirely different. 1 Cor 1:18-29,
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Where is the wise person?... Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?… For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.
Where do we draw our confidence from? From our own abilities and track record, or from the sufficiency of God within us? We know that the Apostle Paul struggled with relying on his own importance, experience, and reputation. 2 Corinthians 12:6-9,
Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
It is in our surrender that we learn to harness the power of God. Our reliance on God’s ability is the key to surpassing our own limitations. Why then, do modern-day Christians rely on worldly versions of strength to spread what they perceive to be the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God cannot be expanded by force
Using force to impose religious conformity on others has been a temptation since religion was invented. Historically, Christians and Muslims have pursued terrible campaigns of violence in order to spread their faith, but there are other, more subtle forms of force that are just as devastating, such as shaping legislation to promote a specific religion. In India, the BJP Hindu Nationalist regime actively persecutes Muslims, making their lives as hard as possible by passing laws that favour Hindu beliefs and practices and restrict those of their Muslim neighbours. Using legislation this way, even without military force, is known as religious nationalism, and it is always a force for injustice.
The country most actively pursuing a Christian nationalist agenda today is the USA, where laws are formed and imposed to shape the nation according to a religious agenda. Make no mistake, this is the opposite approach to the one Jesus took and is a form of violence.
How should a government rule?
Democratic governments are always going to shape their legislative agenda around some form of morality. Britain, for example, has a legal system that is, at heart, based on Judaeo-Christian values – do not lie, cheat, steal, murder, etc – but even if the law of the land finds its origins in religion, it should not be confused with the religion it was historically based upon.
The kind of morality that should underpin legislation is common morality – that which is supported by a majority consensus, in order to serve the entire population rather than those who follow a specific faith. It used to be, for example, that women were not legally permitted to vote, but during WW1, women took on traditionally male roles to help keep the country running, and it became clear that they couldn’t be treated as second-class citizens anymore. The moral consensus shifted, and despite resistance, the law changed with it. Sadly, Christian voices were among the loudest seeking to stop this from happening, as religion is always wed to tradition, and tradition is always slow to change. This is why religion should never be the driving force behind a legislative agenda.
The Civil Rights movement was another significant shift in the majority consensus, and several decades later, so was legalising same sex marriage. A May 2022 Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% were against it. Similarly, the 2022 American Values Atlas by Public Religion Research Institute found that 69% of Americans supported same-sex marriage, while 28% opposed it. This is a clear majority consensus which should be (and currently is) reflected in the law.
Abortion is a particularly telling example of where Christian nationalism has given itself permission to overrule majority moral consensus. There are various ways to break down public opinion about abortion, but the consistent story across numerous polls is that while around 35% of US citizens think abortion should be legal in all circumstances, a massive 85% (including the 35%) think that abortion should be legal in some circumstances. A much smaller number (12%) think abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, and that 12% is largely made up of Evangelicals.
The clear moral consensus is that abortion should be legal, and included in that consensus is the qualification that legality is to be determined by circumstances. For some, that set of circumstances might be narrow, only permitting abortion due to rape and incest or because the life of the mother would be in danger if she carried to term. For others, that set of circumstances will be broader, such as imposing restrictions on late term abortions but otherwise considering all abortion to be legal.
Cutting through the noise, the clear moral consensus in the United States is that abortion should be legal, and yet recent changes in legislation have made it so that women in numerous states are living under an abortion ban. Many Evangelicals are celebrating this move and wanting it to go further, because they believe that the pro-life stance is fundamentally Christian. Even if I agreed with them, which I don’t (shades of grey!), what they are in fact cheering on is the use of legislative force to impose what they see as the Kingdom of God on the nation.
To be clear, this is religious nationalism, which as previously discussed, operates on opposing principles to those of the Kingdom of God. It is not something I believe Jesus would recognise or endorse.
Embracing the foolishness of God
We live in a world riven by violence, whether physical or legislative. Christians shouldn’t join in with that violence and compete for top spot, or at least not if they want to walk with Christ. The Kingdom of God is expanded through the service of others, just as Jesus washed his disciples’ feet on the night before his crucifixion. It is spread through kindness and mercy and watered with empathy – qualities the MAGA movement decry as weak.
Let us be weak for God. Let us turn from the temptation to grasp at power and force; let us reject poisonous ideas of male dominance and take our steer from Jesus instead. Let us put others before ourselves, and just as Christ did, honor their right to choose what they believe and practice. If we are to win them for God, let it be because of his love shining through us and nothing more.
4/5/2025 12:54:25 AM
