I first came across the following prayer a little over a decade ago in a book by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost.
Oh God, our Heavenly Guide, as finite creatures of time and as dependent creatures of Thine, we acknowledge Thee as our sovereign Lord. Permit freedom and the joys thereof to forever reign throughout our land. May we as ________ forever have the courage of our convictions that we may always stand for Thee and our great nation. May the sweet cup of brotherly fraternity ever be ours to enjoy and build within us that kindred spirit which will keep us unified and strong. Engender within us that wisdom kindred to honorable decisions and the Godly work. By the power of Thy infinite spirit and the energizing virtue therein, ever keep before us our oaths of secrecy and pledges of righteousness. Bless us now in this assembly that we may honor Thee in all things, we pray in the name of Christ, our blessed Savior. Amen.
The blank is there because I wanted you to read this prayer in its entirety before knowing who the person was who was doing the praying. This prayer was prayed on June 7, 1964 at Boykins Methodist Church in Raleigh, MS. The person praying was Sam Bowers. This was a gathering of the Ku Klux Klan of Mississippi, and Mr. Bowers just so happened to be the Imperial Wizard (the fill in the blank word is “klansmen”).
I share this story because Mr. Bowers believed that what he was doing was ordained by God. He believed, in a sense, that he was on God’s side, which meant that those who opposed him were on a different side. It’s been almost six decades since this, and in that time most humans today would say that his theology was quite warped.
There is a real danger in presuming that you are on the side of God. In fact, during Jesus’ three years of public ministry, his harshest words were directed to the religious leaders who thought they were right and everyone else was wrong. The Kingdom he preached and ushered in is often called an upside-down kingdom. Over and over again he said that those who think they’re in might not be in, and those who never thought they had a shot are probably closer than they realize.
I have been so disheartened and frustrated over the last few days because of the response I’ve heard from evangelicals. It’s one thing to choose a political side because you line up with its values more than those found on the other side. And it’s perfectly understandable to then be disappointed when your candidate doesn’t win. It’s an entirely different thing to assume that God has also chosen that side.
In the past week I have heard people I have known and respected throwing out a lot of end times jargon. I’ve definitely heard more talk about the antichrist than normal. I fear that these folks are getting more militant by the day. I’ve also heard people talk about the fact that God is still on his throne despite the fact that their candidate lost. I have a great deal more respect for these people, but I feel that it too makes a dangerous assumption.
It’s not my intent to offend those who think differently from me. I write this because my greatest concern is that this behavior creates an unnecessary stumbling block for those who aren’t quite sure what they believe about God. And I once again think back to Jesus’ harsh words to those who prevent others from getting near him.
Over the years I’ve done some study on the roots and history of evangelicalism. What marked evangelicals in the beginning was a high regard for Scripture, the belief that our need for true heart change comes not from ourselves but from something outside of ourselves, the belief that that “something” was Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and the belief that the fruit of this change is to be a part of God’s redemptive work.
If these were still the marks of evangelicalism, I could wholeheartedly get behind them. But they’re not. A fifth mark of conservatism has been added, and I feel, at least in a frenzied election season (which actually seems to never end) that it has become primary. And the problem is that as it becomes primary, these other marks naturally fade.
Going back to Jesus, here’s a troubling thought: those who most thought about and longed for the Messiah’s coming were also those who most missed it.
Even as I write that, I do not primarily point my finger at others. I know that I am guilty of missing it as well. It is my human nature to desire to craft God in my image. Even as I write this, I recognize that some of my thoughts and words stem from my frustration and sadness. My hope is that I daily seek to walk in humility and am quick to acknowledge those areas in which I fall short.
One of my favorite quotes comes from N.T. Wright. He says…
There’s something that I think I’m right about that I’m actually wrong about, and I’m not sure what that is.
I pray that I never grow beyond this.
Jesus often uttered the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let them hear.” He did this because he knew that there would be many who would miss what he was doing. I pray that our hearts and minds would be open, and that we too would have ears to hear.