Jesus, Antifa, and Trump

I have pondered, and hesitated, to write this blog. Sure, the title of the blog is perhaps an eye catcher. It's going to involve some American politics and issues, but mostly, this will be about how we Lutheran Christians should respond in times like these. To lay my cards on the table at the outset, I am first and foremost a Confessional Lutheran. Secondarily, I am a Constitutional Conservative.

Times of trail have come upon us American Christians. We are used to the easy life, where our religion goes on unhindered and we joyfully meet every Sunday to receive Christ's gifts. But things are drastically changing, and fast at that.

If your head has been buried in the sand, a lot has been happening in the United States. Beginning earlier this year, we were hit with the covid19 pandemic, which was exploited by government leaders to impose draconian measures against their citizens; in many cases depriving people of their livelihoods, destroying businesses, and trampling on our right to assemble and freedom of religion. To top it off, the brutal and heinous treatment by Minneapolis police resulted in the death of George Floyd, who happens to be African American. From there, the activist group Black Lives Matter sprung into action, and rightfully so. Peaceful protest is an American right enshrined in our Constitution. From there, all hell broke loose.

Many have opined, and I'm inclined to agree, that what has transpired after this has been fueled by Marxist rage whipped up by the far left. We have been here before in history, states scholar Gary Saul Morson, professor of Russian literature at Northwestern University. In the June 5 edition of the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Morson states, "To me it's astonishingly like late 19th, early 20th century Russia, when basically the entire educated class felt you had to be against the regime or some sort of revolutionary." We have not arrived at a revolutionary situation, says Mr. Morson, but we certainly have arrived at a spot where well intentioned liberal people will not call lawless violence wrong. Of course, very few on the left in general is calling anything out because politics. And stuff. If they are, it's very muted. What began as peaceful protesting with some looting (which is always wrong), has turned into a full fledged, nationwide riot, that has little to nothing to do with George Floyd anymore. Hijacked by the openly Communist and Anarchist group Antifa, the nation has turned into a battle zone. In the wake, President Trump has declared Antifa a domestic terrorist group and has deployed the military to oppose the rioting and massive destruction of property. This has evolved in to an ideological war, to put it bluntly. We have a far left movement hell bent on destroying the country from within, and a President who is deploying troops against his own country. The whole thing is very dystopic and messed up, to say the least.

So how should we, as Christians, look at all this? There are a few things to be said.

First and foremost, it is imperative for us as Lutherans to keep the gospel the gospel. Difficult situations are nothing new for Christians. We've had it easy in the United States for the most part. We've had a good run, so to speak, with our Constitution protecting freedom of religion and assembly, and speech. Now with Constitutional rights under attack, we must stick to what Christ has given us. Amending the gospel is not an option.

Second, why are we surprised? Didn't Jesus say that we will be hated for his name sake? (Matt 10:16-25) Scripture also talks about us suffering quite a bit, especially in the New Testament. (Rom 8, 2Cor 1, Col 1, 2The 1, 2 Tim 2, etc.) I'm not saying we are there yet, but the possibility exists, and indeed, is given to us as a gift in Scripture. This does not mean that we should go looking for persecution and suffering, of course, as many Christians are wont to do, but that these trials will build us up (Rom 5).

Third, we must be cautious not to abuse Romans 13. "For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval." (Rom 13:3) To put it precisely, this does not mean to obey government no matter what they say. It does however mean that we ought to be lawful citizens as much as we possibly can, provided they are not demanding bad conduct from us. "We must obey God rather than men," (Acts 5:29) St. Peter and the Apostles answered before the council. This is a legitimate answer to the government as well, if it comes to that.

Fourth, there are certain things that Christians simply must oppose, and must obey God and not men. We must oppose a state that prohibits free Christian fellowship and freedom of religion, to the extent that they are punishing those who gather and worship, or have made Christianity illegal. Communist states are notorious for this. (This is far left ideology. Hint hint) The Bolshevik Revolution and the Soviet Union are a great example. This revolution and state was atheist and persecuted Christians harshly. The Russian Orthodox Church was silenced.

Fifth, we must equally oppose a state that interferes in the church's business, changing the church to be something it is not. A good example of this is Nazi Germany, in which the state basically interjected itself into the church and indoctrinated National Socialism into its teachings. Many notable Lutheran pastors opposed this. Hermann Sasse was a strong voice, as was Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Sixth, we must avoid confusing the gospel and the Christian faith with the American dream. Jesus is not the poster boy for the Republican party. Nor for the democrats. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Our political stances may not be God's. Keep the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world separate. But, keep in mind Isaiah 5:20. Calling evil good is never good.

Seventh, there are certain practices the church must denounce as evil. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isa 5:20) We simply cannot, as Christians, call good evil and evil good. To do so is against God and puts a person in a state of unrepentant sin. This goes for any issue. As an example, calling abortion good would be to call murder good, and hence to call evil good. We cannot do that as Christians. There are many more issues which we could write volumes about, but for now this one will suffice. As I have argued in the past, there is no such thing as a liberal Christian, precisely for this reason. A liberal Christian is a Christian who makes Jesus out to be a cultural socialist hero and calls evil good.

Unrepentant Christians?

Sin, Repentance, and Theological Liberalism

Eighth, and I include this one separately from the seventh, is racism, because it is a huge issue today. This one should be a super easy one for Christians, but we too carry around our sinful nature and commit racist thoughts and acts. The bottom line regarding racism is that Christ died for each and every single individual person ever conceived on this Earth. He died for the Pharisee. He died for the Philistine. He died for the Jew. He died for the Indonesian. He died for the German. He died for the African American. He died for the Native American. He died for Christians. He died for Muslims. And Atheists. And everyone else.

If Christ died for everyone unilaterally; each individual, how can we ever think that we are superior to another person based on our race? Jesus' blood was shed for us equally. The solution to racism is not sociology. It's theology.

Let us then take heart, for the world will hate us, but Christ has overcome the world.(John 16:33, 1Jo 4:4) Let us pray for the things that are dividing us as a nation. Let us grieve with those who are grieving. For both the family of George Floyd to the families of the slain in the streets in the riots. Let us be bold to call evil as it is and to also call good as it is.

Most of all, let us be even bolder to proclaim Christ crucified for the forgiveness of all of our sins, for everyone. From Donald Trump to Antifa to Black Lives Matter to White Supremacists. The same Christ has died for all of them, and the world needs to hear it now more than ever.

+Pax+