The continuing drama circling Goshen College right now has sparked an internal discussion within me. Goshen College, the private Mennonite school, recently reversed its 114 year history of not singing or playing the National Anthem before sporting events. Paying homage to its Christian roots of nonviolence and pacifism, the Mennonite school viewed the National Anthem as a “war song” which lauds the militaristic actions of the so-called United States. From their view, the anthem glorifies bloodshed and venerates violence as a path to eminence. It also trumpets nationalism and helps to props up the “America as greatest nation” myth.
From what I understand, the Christian Anabaptist tradition, of which Mennonites are a part, soundly reject not just the National Anthem, but anything or anyone that would seek to supplant the Lordship of Jesus Christ and subvert peacemaking as a way of life. Pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America would be out of the question for them. To me, they live out and have historically embodied the scripture in Philippians 3:20 which says, “Our citizenship is in Heaven.”
A national and ecumenical letter-writing campaign ensued because of Goshen’s decision play the National Anthem. I am amazed by the long list of passionate signers and personal stories from all over the nation and even other parts of the world that are decrying this decision.
Though Goshen College and other Mennonite schools are now turning their back on their tradition of nonconformity to the celebration of war-making via the Anthem; this dilemma does and should spark a question within other Christian communities as well.
TO WHOM SHOULD CHRISTIANS PLEDGE THEIR ALLEGIANCE?
Should we be “Romans 13 people” who embrace government as being appointed by God and subject ourselves to their authority? As a portion of Romans 13 reads:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
But if so, what do we make then of 1 Samuel 8: 1-21 which presents the acceptance of government authority over one’s life as being a rejection of God over communal life? Observe God’s reaction when the people of Israel request government authority to reign over them:
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.[emphasis mine] As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
However, different Christians engage this question, it is interesting to highlight that many of the narratives that we lift and celebrate in Christian worship involve resistance to the Power Structure. We celebrate Moses as being used by God to confront Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. We fondly remember Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (commonly referred to by their Babylonian slave names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) as being three youth who would not conform to King Nebuchadnezzar’s official decree to worship his gods and his image. Daniel is regularly memorialized for continuing to pray to God despite King Darius’ ordinance forbidding it for 30 days. (It’s important to note that Daniel did not accidently violate the ordinance. Chapter 6 verse 10 makes clear that he knew about the ordinance – as any government official would – and decided to pray anyway!) For a more thorough treatment of the biblical texts in relation to this theme, I would highly recommend the Anarchism and Christianity Primer mp3 recording by Nekeisha Alexis-Baker.
Looking past resistance to the Power Structure, we can’t overlook as Christians that the last book in our canon presents the absence of a human Power Structure. Revelation 21: 1-6 paints a clear picture of a new type of human existence with one glaring new reality: There is no empire, no government, no mayor, and no human king between God and people. Echoing Leviticus 26, a portion of the passage reads:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
So the situation with Goshen College and their decision to now acknowledge the government’s nationalistic war song (as some call it) presents a contemporary opportunity not just for Mennonites, but all Christians to explore the foundations of our Faith, the witness of our Holy Scriptures, and the leading of The Spirit to determine The Way of God today in relation to the question of allegiance and faithfulness in Empire.
Photo Credit: Zazzle.com
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[...] To Whom Should Christians Pledge Allegiance? [...]
Thanks for the post and links. As a "new" Anabaptist I have been deeply saddened by Goshen's decision and I think the issue of playing loose with allegiance is the reason why. Your raising it here is helpful. Just one note: I think John Howard Yoder's expose on Romans 13 (in "The Politics of Jesus" and "The Christian Witness to the State) is most helpful in terms of how that chapter fits with others throughout the Bible. Essentially, Yoder argues that God has "ordered" or lined states up to play a role to keep order and provide a policing function that will allow the "blessed community" (not Yoder's words of course) to flourish. As he says in "Witness", the church (not the state) bears the inner meaning of history. So the state has a role in God's economy and we should submit to its laws. This is a FAR cry from pledging our allegiance to it AND, as Yoder and others have made abundantly clear, the state is rarely content to play the role God has ordered it to play and oversteps its bounds. It seeks to become eternal–its seeks to become a god. It is this reality that should focus our attention when it comes to deciding if and how to show respect/allegiance/commitment to ANY institution–including the state. Thanks!
[...] To Whom Should Christians Pledge Allegiance? — Heber Brown, III, Faith in Action [...]