One of the critical concerns and critiques about a church people that is/are too political is that we would violate the “horses and chariots” (Psalm 20:7) principle. The principle means that we move too quickly to trust in messianic suits. There is validity to this concern. I want to first express my desire to preserve the biblical principle, and then I want to add a few caveats.
Living in a patriotic environment like the south can be beneficial in many ways. There are, however, factors which make the patriotic ethos harmful to the church. Among them is the exaltation of national causes over kingdom ones. There are times in church history where the two overlap quite nicely like a colorful mosaic in a Constantinian palace, but then there are those times in which the two need to be far apart: as distant as Simon from Garfunkel. Those bridges over troubled waters are not meant to be crossed lest confusion arise.
I have argued over the years that the christianization of the American civic calendar is too close to the abyss and can endanger the health of the church. I have also argued that 4th of July parties, Memorial Day gatherings and even that notorious purveyor of evil, Columbus, should be celebrated as wildly as one wishes. I am not against hotdogs in the backyard or in the park, but I am Bucerian when it comes to my sacraments. I take my loaf fat and puffy and my wine red like crimson. In short, I don’t want my earthly politics mixing with my heavenly liturgy. When that happens, flags sneak into the holy places and Tim Tebow ends up pronouncing the benediction. No, thank you.
Perhaps the central way to avoid the primacy of the civic calendar is to allow an alternative calendar to take its place in the church. For the Christian, the church calendar is that alternative calendar. I grant that it is a monumental battle uphill, but overall, we are making some good progress and lest I forget, “And also with you.”
We should be really careful to distinguish Zion from Central Park in how we do our exegesis. Our interpretation does not serve the cause of country, but country submits to interpretation and dogma. And our dogma is all pronounced on Sunday morning for everyone to see. As Nancy Pelosi once gloriously said, “Good morning. Sunday morning!”
And if one wants to preserve that heavenly trip on the Lord’s Day, he would do well to keep it the LORD’s DAY and not an extension of our favorite cable news. This leads me to observe that when people demur the liturgical year calling it “yuck” or some other philosophical variation, but declare how tasteful it is that sister Diane sang “God bless America” on the most holy week of July the 4th, that, ladies and gentlemen, is when you know they have violated the “horses and chariots” principle. They have galloped their way into it faster than sweet tea into a 7-11 Big Gulp.
If we do, however, keep the work of the church first, then we are free to deliberate about politics all the way to thy kingdom come, which incidentally is where all politics should start: in the context of the kingdom. The fact that I may find Bosolnaro charming and Trump’s antics really effective at times does not mean I put too much effort into politics; it simply means that I have done my duty on the Lord’s Day and cannot help myself from opining about the orange man in the White House. The “horses and chariots” principle only applies when you take the glory of the Lord away from the church and confuse it with whatever happens in D.C.
Further, my care for political implications stems precisely because there is a certain order to things on earth, and even though I may make a few wrong chess moves on the way, it doesn’t mean I don’t checkmate my opponent in the end, especially if we commit together to trusting in the name of the LORD our God first. So, no, don’t confuse my political interests with belittling the role of the church or the salvation of Jesus. In fact, I don’t think I am trusting in sturdy animals to guide me into victory, I think I am distrusting them the right way and using them just right; thanks for asking.
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