Can Americans be Christian? Well, of course we can. I mean, what is there about being a citizen of the United States that would contradict being a Christian? Nothing! No, that's not what I'm asking. Can a person embrace the values that make America what it is today and still be Christian? I think that's a tougher question.
The president boldly stated a while back that America was not a Christian nation. I don't think he was far wrong. The Christian values that formed this country aren't the values honored today. Most people would say that's a good thing. No, today, the highest values seem to be independence and individualism. The notion today is that we should be free to do whatever it is we want to do and not have to depend on others. The real valuable person today, for instance, is the "self-made man". That's something to aspire to. And we have made ourselves in the image of individualism. That old Marlboro man image is ingrained in us. He's out there, alone, taking care of business, all by himself. He doesn't need anyone. And he's his own man. You know, like Frank Sinatra praised in song, "I did it my way." Yeah ... that's good stuff.
Not too long ago Americans were a slightly different breed. The most obvious example would be the World War II culture. Ration gas for the war effort? No problem. Can't get milk, coffee, rubber, and so on because they need it "over there"? Not an issue. Lose a child to defeating tyranny? Very, very sad, but also an item deserving honor and pride ... not outrage. Not today. We want to live, we want to live without limitations, and we don't want any discomfort in doing so. We don't first ask, for instance, "How do we fix this problem?" We ask, "Who's to blame?" Stuff doesn't just happen; we're going to blame someone and they're gonna pay! Our national pastime may have once been baseball, but now it's litigation.
Of course, it would be an error to suggest that people don't do good deeds anymore. They do. But the approach is slightly different. Today we believe, "Do good unto others so they will do good unto you." But ... what if they don't? Husbands will be good to wives because they're told "treat her better and she'll treat you better." Many people have decided to limit family size because "It's just too much work to raise kids." We look at things in terms of return rather than investment, in terms of "What can I get out of it?" rather than for simply doing good.
Of course, one of the key components of America is capitalism. It always has been. Some say that capitalism is built on greed. I disagree. Capitalism built on enlightened self-interest. Not to say that there aren't greedy people out there. But if our recent economic woes are any example, it is greedy people that cause the system to collapse, not prosper. No, capitalism is based on the idea that if I provide people what they want, they'll give me what I want. It doesn't work too well if we're simply trying to get rich. That could be a simple matter of various nefarious activities. No, we just want to be comfortable, and to do it, we need to take into account other people. If we treat them well, they'll treat us well. If we don't, they won't, and that's bad for business.
But how do these values stack up against Christian values? Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow Me." How does that fit with modern American values? The biblical picture of the Church is one of community, not individualism. It is one of self-sacrifice, not personal gain. It is an image of utter dependence, not advanced independence. The Body of Christ is the image used for the Church. In it there are individual parts, sure, but they don't work independently. Independence is a problem for that. Paul specifically argues against that in 1 Corinthians 12 when he illustrates with "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'." And Paul's "suggestion" (read "command") to "in humility count others more important than yourselves" (Phil 2:3) is just, well, downright unAmerican!
Of course, I'm overstating the problem. It is possible to be an American and be a Christian. Still, when we absorb modern American values and try to incorporate them into Christian values, we run into problems -- serious, fundamental problems. The basic Christian concept of "die to self" is in stark contrast to the basic American concept of "I'm the important one." The Christian family that forms the Christian community is a vanishing breed in America. How do selfless kindness, unconditional love, self-sacrificing generosity, and other values basic to Christianity stack up against American values? We hardly know what it looks like anymore. This is why I want, first, to be a Christian before I am an American.
No comments:
Post a Comment