Why “Christian Supremacy” Is Not Very Christian
Christian Nationalism Part 3
Photo by Joshua Earle
I grew up believing from a super young age that God desired for me to share his “message.” There are family videos of me preaching sermons to my little sister in our living room, complete with “altar call” invitations (for her to kneel at the coffee table and REPENT!) Adorable little Courtney got saved so many times. Around second or third grade, I was writing page-long sermons and distributing them to my dad’s pastor friends.
I took this faith-stuff VERY much to heart when I entered my teenage years. I channeled every bit of teenage angst and hormones into a disciplined pursuit of spiritual perfection and focused cultivation of a “relationship with God” — as much as a teenager can, anyway! If I had been Catholic, I probably would have entered the Sisterhood. By 13, I was planning on becoming a pastor.
I have distinct memories of times in high school when I selected a person or group of strangers to “witness to” (which amounted to a premeditated spiritual assault). I would typically blabber something unintelligible about God and the conversation would go exactly nowhere (after all, it came Out of Nowhere). Or I would chicken out and let the “perfect moment” slip by. Either way, I would feel like the hugest piece of crap.
Why could I not do this simple thing for God? Why was it so hard for me to share his message? If people were going to hell, how could I not make it my life’s purpose to offer them “salvation”?!
Growing up in white evangelicalism meant I had this special knowledge of God that had to be shared with the world, or I was letting God down.
But, when this theology continually produced in me the fruits of self-loathing, obsessive behaviors, burdens, and haunting shame, I realized something about it (or my understanding of it) had to be off.
A BETTER WAY…
What I find especially interesting now, is how far removed so much of this thinking is from the original Christians.
Of course, they believed in the supremacy of Jesus (per his resurrection), or they wouldn’t have been so devoted to him in life and death!
But, they didn’t go door to door with a sale’s pitch, “spiritually assaulting” strangers. Nor did they set themselves up as “superior” over anyone else. Rather, the early Christians existed patiently among dissenting views — assuming a posture of freedom for all (amid a religiously diverse culture).
To quote historian Alan Kreider, “The Christians believed that God is patient and that Jesus visibly embodied patience. And they concluded that they, trusting in God, should be patient — not controlling events, not anxious or in a hurry, and never using force to achieve their ends.”
Taking cues from Jesus, they were ready and willing to LISTEN to critics and RESPECTFUL in debates — giving SPACE to all religious beliefs and observances in the marketplace. When given the chance to speak to a crowd, they often REFUSED (even the opportunity for “last words” in the face of death!), believing that their behavior spoke louder than their words, and ultimately entrusting the future to God. (How refreshing is that!?!!)
WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGED FOR ME…
I found myself taking a similar “posture of freedom” by way of religious exhaustion. It was when I didn’t have the energy to care if I offended God anymore, that I was able to ask questions like:
Is there anything different about me, compared to my non-Christian friends — besides what I believe in my head?
What good is this “special knowledge” that I have, if my non-Christian friends are just as (if not more) loving, generous, truthful, and justice-oriented — putting my “spiritual perfection” to shame?
Did God ever ask me to be a “perfect saleswoman”— or did I get that idea from somewhere else?
Is God big enough, loving enough, grace-filled enough to handle things (like someone else’s salvation) without me? If not, why did I ever think he was worthy of my trust/devotion?!
Asking questions like these set me free from the pressure I had always felt to be perfect, the failure and shame I felt when I couldn’t say the “right things” in the “right moments,” and the burden and fears I felt for the people out there who didn’t “know God” because I hadn’t shared his message “properly.”
This huge shift came as I realized I was not the center of the story; I was not, and never had been, the Savior. When I was able to take myself off the pedestal of my own privatized faith, my view of God got a heck of a lot bigger!
CAN I GET A WITNESS?…
Okay, back to the early church. They had one main focus — and it was NOT “evangelism,” “missions,” “attractional” church worship services, or even believing the “right” things! All those things were added later…
Their main focus was their WITNESS—a.k.a. what onlookers witnessed about their lives; how they represented their God in the world.
Here are just a few examples of how this played out…
They were fair in business dealings (not charging interest, paying wages promptly, never taking oaths, speaking plainly and honesty)
They buried the dead on their own dime (a big deal at the time when burial societies were very expensive to join)
They subversively opposed the Roman social hierarchy through their own “community of commonality” — an alternative family — where no social, economic, or gender divisions existed; and where there was economic sharing so that no one had need
Perhaps most notably, they were killed in cruel ways that were offensive and memorable to spectators. Even facing wild animals or gladiators, the Christians died together — slave and free — as “brothers and sisters.” They displayed the commonality they practiced in life, also in death — sometimes choosing literal death with their friends, over their own freedom/safety. What kind of love is that? …the Jesus kind.
People were attracted to the Christians because they saw a unique power among them — not a power that was used over and against like the rulers of the day, but a power that was with and for! They saw their unique love for each other (as well as for neighbor and enemy) — a love that was so powerful, it went beyond biological family ties, and could override even their most primal fear of death! They also saw in the Christians, a unique hope and vision for a better world.
It was the tangible actions of the Christians that revealed the goodness of their God. When “pagans” sought to join the church, they’d say things like:
“When the plague struck my family, a Christian brought food and water and gave us medical attention, at great risk to their health, and saved my son’s life!”
Or “a Christian family took me in when my biological parents left me — they had so many mouths to feed already, but their compassion had no limits!”
Or “I saw Christians face death with dignity and fearlessness — they didn’t deserve the fate they received — but I can’t stop thinking about their courage.”
Or “Christians showed me, a destitute widow, honor. They accepted me into their extended family and took care of all my needs.”
Or “this Christian woman who worked in my house came and went with such confidence and contentment, greater than any luxury, feasts, or fancy clothes had ever given me. It made no sense…but I wanted what she had!”
WITNESS. People joined the church because the witness of the Christians was so compelling, meaningful, and life-changing! And, the Christians lived this way because they were following Jesus, whose life they also found to be compelling, meaningful, and life-changing!
In my last post, I sought to debunk the idea of Christian persecution in America. But let’s scratch all that for a minute, and assume you ARE being persecuted for your faith. If that’s how you feel, I hope you will ponder some questions in light of the example of the early Christians…
What’s your witness?
What kind of fruit are your beliefs producing?
What do your tangible actions tell people about your God?
The Alan Kreider quote is from The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire — highly recommend!
