Jingoism

“…give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Matthew 22:21 HCSB

Years ago, in a three-month killing spree, 850,000 Rwandans were killed. To a great degree, people who claim to follow Christ were complicit in this genocide in that in that they reinforced the latent racism that many of their congregations felt. They were complicit in that both Catholic and Protestant denominational leaders had so tied themselves to the government's interests that they were unable to stand against the genocide. They were complicit in that they taught absolute, unquestioning obedience to the government. Lastly, the churches were complicit in that they had "converted" the people in the sense that great numbers were attending church, but had failed to teach the most basic of Christian virtues: that of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Christ defined patriotism as giving honor and tribute where it was due. No more, no less. We are to give the government the obedience it deserves so that we might have a law-abiding and peaceful society. [1] When the government exceeds its lawful limitations, when it pursues an unjust cause, when it is guilty of perpetrating injustices, then we must give God His due. We must obey God, rather than human authority.[2]

What is God's due? What is it He wants? He wants us to do what is good and run from evil; to hate evil and love what is good; to remodel our courts into true halls of justice. We must work toward the creation of a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.[3]

We must never allow our patriotism to blind us to injustice or evil. True patriotism includes voting. Voting entails giving voice to your conscience. If we remove our conscience from the mix, our patriotism becomes jingoism - clamorous, chauvinistic, belligerent nationalism.

The same can go for our church. If our church or denomination is failing to stand for what is right, if it goes against the will of God in the name of "tolerance" or supports a cause against which God clearly stands, we should have no part in it.

God commands, “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God's sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.”[4]

[1] 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12a
[2] Acts 5:29
[3] Amos 5:14-15, 24
[4] 2 Corinthians 6:14-18