We did not envision that among us there could be myths that would be honored more than the gospel of Jesus Christ

 

When I started writing for Voices of Orthodox Women, it seems years ago, I found myself in a denomination focused on everything but the word of God, the Lordship of Christ and faithfulness in our walk. Those years are gone as is my and many other’s membership in that denomination. (I realize there are still many faithful Christians in the PCUSA.)  But walking away from an often faithless denomination carries no assurance of somehow advancing the kingdom of God nor even of staying within the safe borders of orthodoxy. 

One can hold on to the dogma with the intellect but throw the whole being into a strange political ideology that strangles the faith. Religion mixed with extreme right or extreme left politics kills our first love which must be Jesus.

Twitter often carries the signs of the times. Several days ago I read and listened to an ongoing confrontation between Eric Metaxas, the author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, and Rod Dreher, the author of The Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies, who are supposedly friends. 

Dreher was appalled that Metaxas had on his show John Zmirak who had just published an article condemning Christians who were not backing Trump, calling them and Dreher servile Christians.  In the article, Zmirak wrote: “Servility is what I want to talk about today. Over the past few years, especially among the type of Christians who joined the NeverTrump camp, I’ve seen that deadly neurosis repackaged as a virtue. It pops up in repugnant essays like “Christianity Is for Cucks,” and in redundant books like The Benedict Option [One of the books authored by Dreher]."

Metaxas praised Zmirak’s article calling it brilliant. And on the video of Metaxas’ show there is total disregard for the genuine reasons and real concerns of those Christians who believe Trump’s worldview is not truly prolife, nor possessing moral principles. Instead both Metaxas and Zmirak see such Christians as cowards refusing to fight the “enemy.”  They see such Christians as those who seek virtue and martyrdom (from the Democrats) rather than joining in a fight to recover the election of Trump. They see America and Trump as the only force standing between Syria and its Christians, North Korea and its Christians, China and its Christians, etc.

While I have some very negative thoughts about Trump’s views and policies in regards to such authoritarian governments as North Korea and Syria that isn’t my focus in this essay but rather the great division that is now happening among Evangelical Christians in the United States. 

I have over the last 6 months read several books that are shaping my views; The Benedict Option for the second time as well as Dreher’s Live Not by Lies, also David French’s new book, Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation in which French first looks at our divisions, then writes of two dystopia like secessions and their outcome on the global scene, and then he focuses on federalism and courage as helpful in overcoming our divisions. Rounding out these books is a new commentary on 1 & 2 Thessalonians by a Catholic scholar Douglas Farrow.

While Dreher’s two books are aimed at Christians and how they can live as Christians while experiencing massive dislocation in a society that is increasingly anti-Christian, French’s book is aimed at divisions between secular and religious society and how we as Americans can live together in community without splitting apart. Farrow’s commentary, setting aside some of his more Catholic views, (he wouldn’t of course like that) speaks to the growing anti-Christian views of the West and how that relates to the Church and the coming of ultimate evil. It is a commentary on 1&2 Thessalonians after all!

Those of us who were or are a part of a progressive denomination thought of conflict in terms of progressive against traditionalist, of the deniers of Christian orthodoxy against those who were orthodox in faith. And truly that was the basic conflict and still is, but we did not envision standing between a rock and a hard place. 

We did not envision there could be opposition from those brothers and sisters who became so deeply entrenched in extreme rightwing politics that their loyalty to a man would cause them to mark us out as those who offend the faith.  We did not envision that among us there could be myths that would be honored more than the gospel of Jesus Christ—the idea that a man—and a nation could almost exist on the same level as our Savior, Jesus, the one, really the only one, who actually stands between the world and His Church. The One who gathers the saints of North Korea, of Syria, of China and all other hard places into His comforting arms.

Farrow in his book writes, of course, of the anti-Christ, “the man of lawlessness.” (2 Thessalonians 2: 3) And also of the great apostasy. He ties the anti-Christ very closely to the Church, because since he is anti-Christ he must in his opposition attempt to rule the Church, to control the Church. And here is where my deep concern is. We are all too often tainted by the world from one side or the other. Whether it is a disregard for the biblical view of the person of Christ, the Incarnation, which too many progressives deny or the biblical view of Christ as the only Lord of the Church which many on the right are undoubtedly, unintentionally turning their backs on; the Church, like a hungry needy cat, is too easily rubbing up against the world.

I am afraid that those demeaning those who care little for Trump fail to see that it is not only the secular culture that persecutes, but also the political/religious zealots who trouble the sheep.