Christian Citizenship (Biblical Reasons Why I Want to Be a Christian in a Multi-Faith Nation) Part 11

STATUE OF ARTEMIS, 1st Century Ephesus.
By Gargarapalvin - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89108995

 

This post is part 11 of a series on Christian citizenship, and why I believe mixing Christian identity with American identity is bad for both. My intent in sharing these short Biblical reflections is not to "prooftext", or just compile a list of unrelated Bible verses to support my argument. Rather, I hope to give you little bite-sized thoughts, which I believe represent themes you'll find throughout the Bible and historic Christian teachings.

I hope they make you think.

 

Today's reason why I want to live as a Christian in a multi-faith nation: 

In Acts chapter 19, Paul and his companions enter Ephesus, whose local patron deity is the Greek Goddess Artemis. A man named Demetrius, who makes his living casting little silver Artemis statues, gathers other small business owners and plots against Paul, who is cutting into their livelihood by preaching for Jesus and against idols made by human hands. Demetrius whips up a riot of people chanting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They seek to arrest Paul, but the town clerk convinces them Paul has broken no laws by preaching an alternative faith. 

This mob’s local/national identity and their religion are tied up together in an unhealthy way, and they view Paul’s message as foreign and strange. They react violently against it. Readers of the New Testament should remember times when Christians were on the receiving end of religious nationalism. It wasn’t pretty. That’s why the Gospel, which unites us across national identities, is so revolutionary.  

For God's beautiful vision of an international Church from Revelation, check out tomorrow's post.

For more background information read this statement from the ELCA's presiding bishop, or learn about Christians Against Christian Nationalism.