Not of this world

There is no such thing as a “Christian nation.” Of course, there are some nations with large, or even majority populations who self-identify as Christians. True Christ-followers, however, should see red flags when religion and government work together to achieve mutually agreed-on goals. World history is littered with terrible examples of such.

The Jesus described by the Gospel writers continually reminded his followers that God’s kingdom is not of this world. All too many Christians today have forgotten this and used their influence in government to their benefit. We’ve seen this happen in Seoul when the organizers of a long-held festival in the city plaza had their permits revoked at the last minute so a so-called Christian group could stage a religious event. Call it a concert, if you will; the events were for evangelizing.

Unlike his modern-day doppelganger, the Jesus of the New Testament did not want to be the “top dog.” He was not interested in acceptance, power or wealth. He didn’t aspire to have the largest congregations with the most elegant temples of worship. At every turn, he opposed the prevailing religious and secular authorities, not by revolution but by presenting another way of life and relationships. While the religious leaders Jesus ran up against used the scriptures to define love, Jesus used love to understand and apply the scriptures.

I think the Jesus described in the four Gospels would have been horrified when, in 313 CE, Emperor Constantine made the religion that borrowed Jesus’ name the official religion of the realm. As this status became increasingly powerful, the church overtook the government. Kings and princes had to seek anointment by the church, typically the pope in Rome. We still see this played out in the recent coronation of King Charles III. However, the few other remaining European monarchs take a more modern approach of swearing an oath to the assembly of the people. While Jesus taught his followers to give the government its due, the unification of the two was not part of God’s kingdom ideal.

When Jesus charged his followers to “make disciples of all nations,” he never could have imagined that this would devolve into forced conversion at the point of a sword, driving the Jews from the lands, seizing their properties and slaughtering those who refused to convert. The Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades were nothing more than a reign of terror imposed upon the Mediterranean by power-hungry religionists. Many Crusaders, over a couple of centuries, committed some of the most heinous crimes against humanity imaginable. The Inquisition was no better.

Christians have, by and large, misunderstood Jesus’ teaching that the kingdom of God “is near” or “at hand.” Yet, they’ve been waiting 2,000 years for something to happen, and when it seems not to have come about in their minds, they try to force it on the world. When Jesus said the kingdom was “at hand,” he meant what he said. “At hand” means right here, right now. His disciples must take hold of it and begin living the kingdom lifestyle Jesus modeled.

People of Jesus’ time often misunderstood the role of the Messiah. Most Christians today equally misunderstand it and continue to try to exert worldly power by any means possible. Such a desire for power is driven only by greed — greed for wealth, status and control. Jesus was brought down not by anarchy but by law and order allied with religion. Such alliances always use force to make others conform.

Christians of many traditions spend much time telling others they “must be born again” to be saved in God’s kingdom. But Jesus further taught (see Luke 18:22) that his followers must sell all they own and give the money to the poor. That’s the hard part for most of us. We must give up seeking revenge on our enemies, give up violence and cruel words shouted at a street rally, insisting others believe as we do. Jesus commanded his followers to take up “their cross” and walk the path of the Messiah — a path of self-denial and sacrifice, even to one’s life.

In all the Biblical records, there has never been a conservative prophet. Prophets have not been called to preserve those social orders that categorize people into worth levels. Privilege and wealth do not belong in the prophetic kingdom of God. Christ-followers are to defend the poor, the powerless, the marginalized, the vulnerable and the oppressed.

Jesus did not command people to worship him, but he constantly challenged them to follow him. We start by loving our neighbor who doesn’t look like us, think like us, love like us, speak, pray or vote like us. Love your neighbor. No exceptions. Jesus was all about how we love. That is the true kingdom of God.

Rev. Steven L. Shields (slshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. A lifelong member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea, he has served as a director and president. He was a copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect The Korea Times’ editorial stance.