The American Church and our Military Obsession
There may be times where force is needed to restrain evil, especially when evil is directed against the vulnerable. Still, I find myself at home with Christian pacifists. I don’t believe, for instance, that I would use violence to protect myself from an attacker. And if I was called up to fight in a war (at 57, this is extremely hypothetical) it would be as a Conscientious Objector.
When Jesus tells us to “turn the other cheek” and to “love your enemy” or when Paul and Jesus both urge Christians to “not repay evil for evil,” I consider these to be sacred tenets of our faith; as basic as prayer or reading the Bible. These things are expected of those following the Prince of Peace.
Before going further in my concerns about the American Church’s obsession with the military and traipsing into a field of landmines, let me qualify a few things.
First, I may be wrong in how I interpret Jesus’ commands on non-violence. Second, I have respect for friends and family who’ve served in the military. Third, I can easily imagine a Christian perspective which says, “violence is necessary to protect a nation and we should celebrate those who’ve voluntarily given their lives in the pursuit of that protection.”
So, I hold these things in tension alongside a deep conviction that the American Church has an unholy alliance with the US military. I believe it is a sign of our love of Empire (sometimes referred to as “Babylon”) over and above our love of the government of Jesus (aka the Kingdom of God).
America has a crazy number of military-focused holidays (i.e., holy days). More than 30 by one reckoning. True, every country has some version of Memorial Day. Germany celebrates Volkstrauertag, honoring those who died in Germany’s wars, while Norway has Veterandagen, recognizing those killed by Germans. When we celebrate our military, keep in mind that somebody somewhere is honoring those killed by our soldiers.
The tragedy is the way these holidays are rolled into American Christian worship services. Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day … these are typically days churches give airtime to the military or to wars in our worship services. This lifting up of the State is in addition to the fact that an American flag holds central place in some churches, as if the American flag were a natural part of Christian identity and worship.
I try to picture Jesus cheering for the Roman army and raising the Roman flag during the Sermon on the Mount. Instead of the meek, Jesus proclaims, “Blessed are the military, for they shall inherit the earth.”
The disciples in the first century made difficult choices around military service. Some chose to serve, while others felt it was antithetical to the faith and would rather be killed than to kill for Rome. This has been true down through the centuries. Some countries (including our own) recognize this and make accommodation for Christians who choose not to serve in the military
I’ve had the privilege of meeting believers from across the world and worshipping in their churches. One of the things that strikes me is the absence of national flags in the churches or homes of fellow Christians. China, for instance, has the largest military in the world but I’ve not experienced Chinese Christians celebrating China’s wars or veterans. My evidence may only be anecdotal, but I believe American churches celebrate our wars, our flag, and our military far more than others.
This isn’t to say that Christians in other countries don’t have love for their country, including recognizing their service men and women. But I find an out-of-proportion exaltation of America’s wars and military in our churches which I’ve never experienced in other places.
Here’s my fear. A shadow of Manifest Destiny looms over our celebration of the military in our churches. This heresy asserts that America represents the kingdom of God and using violence for her expansion or her defense is justified. Even blessed by God.
For those who believe military violence is a necessary evil, why not take up a spirit of mourning. Taking human life, even from the enemies of state, is tragic. The military is a reminder that something is terribly, terribly wrong in the world. As Christians, we ought to be the conscience of the State – the kingdom of this world – recognizing its propensity to use violence for its own interests.
Jesus said to Pilate, the governor of Judea, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest…” Instead, Jesus accepted execution at the hands of Roman and religious leaders, leaving an example that the twelve ended up following.
There exists an alignment in our churches with the US military. An unquestioning commitment to take up arms for the State that shocks many of our brothers and sisters globally (some of whom have experienced the blunt force trauma of the American sword). Let us appreciate that there are those in our congregations who believe state sanctioned violence is an aberration of the faith, and that there are ways to honor those serving in the military without weaving a military celebration into our worship services.
Until all swords are beat into plowshares, may all military-related holidays (like the upcoming 4th of July) become a reminder of human sin and the ease with which we resort to bloodshed.