Reclaiming Jesus
A
Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis
We are living through perilous and
polarizing times as a nation, with a dangerous crisis of moral and political
leadership at the highest levels of our government and in our churches. We
believe the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are now at stake.
It is
time to be followers of Jesus before anything else—nationality, political
party, race, ethnicity, gender, geography—our identity in Christ precedes every
other identity. We pray that our nation will see Jesus’ words in us. “By this
everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”
(John 13:35).
When
politics undermines our theology, we must examine that politics. The church’s
role is to change the world through the life and love of Jesus Christ. The
government’s role is to serve the common good by protecting justice and peace,
rewarding good behavior while restraining bad behavior (Romans 13). When that
role is undermined by political leadership, faith leaders must stand up and
speak out. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The church must be reminded
that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the
conscience of the state.”
It is
often the duty of Christian leaders, especially elders, to speak the truth in
love to our churches and to name and warn against temptations, racial and
cultural captivities, false doctrines, and political idolatries—and even our
complicity in them. We do so here with humility, prayer, and a deep dependency
on the grace and Holy Spirit of God.
This
letter comes from a retreat on Ash Wednesday, 2018. In this season of Lent, we
feel deep lamentations for the state of our nation, and our own hearts are
filled with confession for the sins we feel called to address. The true meaning
of the word repentance is to turn around. It is time to lament, confess,
repent, and turn. In times of crisis, the church has historically learned to
return to Jesus Christ.
Jesus
is Lord. That is our foundational confession. It was central for the early
church and needs to again become central to us. If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar
was not—nor any other political ruler since. If Jesus is Lord, no other
authority is absolute. Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of God he announced, is
the Christian’s first loyalty, above all others. We pray, “Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Our faith is
personal but never private, meant not only for heaven but for this earth.
The
question we face is this: Who is Jesus Christ for us today? What does our
loyalty to Christ, as disciples, require at this moment in our history? We
believe it is time to renew our theology of public discipleship and witness.
Applying what “Jesus is Lord” means today is the message we commend as elders
to our churches.
What we
believe leads us to what we must reject. Our “Yes” is the foundation for our
“No.” What we confess as our faith leads to what we confront. Therefore, we
offer the following six affirmations of what we believe, and the resulting
rejections of practices and policies by political leaders which dangerously
corrode the soul of the nation and deeply threaten the public integrity of our
faith. We pray that we, as followers of Jesus, will find the depth of faith to
match the danger of our political crisis.
I. WE
BELIEVE each human being is made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis
1:26). That image and likeness confers a divinely decreed dignity, worth, and
God-given equality to all of us as children of the one God who is the Creator
of all things. Racial bigotry is a brutal denial of the image of God (the imago
dei) in some of the children of God. Our participation in the global community
of Christ absolutely prevents any toleration of racial bigotry. Racial justice
and healing are biblical and theological issues for us, and are central to the
mission of the body of Christ in the world. We give thanks for the prophetic
role of the historic black churches in America when they have called for a more
faithful gospel.
THEREFORE,
WE REJECT the resurgence of white nationalism and racism in our nation on
many fronts, including the highest levels of political leadership. We, as
followers of Jesus, must clearly reject the use of racial bigotry for political
gain that we have seen. In the face of such bigotry, silence is complicity. In
particular, we reject white supremacy and commit ourselves to help dismantle
the systems and structures that perpetuate white preference and advantage.
Further, any doctrines or political strategies that use racist resentments,
fears, or language must be named as public sin—one that goes back to the
foundation of our nation and lingers on. Racial bigotry must be antithetical
for those belonging to the body of Christ, because it denies the truth of the
gospel we profess.
II. WE
BELIEVE we are one body. In Christ, there is to be no oppression based
on race, gender, identity, or class (Galatians 3:28). The body of Christ, where
those great human divisions are to be overcome, is meant to be an example for
the rest of society. When we fail to overcome these oppressive obstacles, and
even perpetuate them, we have failed in our vocation to the world—to proclaim
and live the reconciling gospel of Christ.
THEREFORE,
WE REJECT misogyny, the mistreatment, violent abuse, sexual harassment,
and assault of women that has been further revealed in our culture and
politics, including our churches, and the oppression of any other child of God.
We lament when such practices seem publicly ignored, and thus privately
condoned, by those in high positions of leadership. We stand for the respect,
protection, and affirmation of women in our families, communities, workplaces,
politics, and churches. We support the courageous truth-telling voices of
women, who have helped the nation recognize these abuses. We confess sexism as
a sin, requiring our repentance and resistance.
III. WE
BELIEVE how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger,
the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. (Matthew 25: 31-46)
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are
members of my family, you did it to me.” God calls us to protect and seek
justice for those who are poor and vulnerable, and our treatment of people who
are “oppressed,” “strangers,” “outsiders,” or otherwise considered “marginal”
is a test of our relationship to God, who made us all equal in divine dignity
and love. Our proclamation of the lordship of Jesus Christ is at stake in our
solidarity with the most vulnerable. If our gospel is not “good news to the
poor,” it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18).
THEREFORE,
WE REJECT the language and policies of political leaders who would debase
and abandon the most vulnerable children of God. We strongly deplore the growing
attacks on immigrants and refugees, who are being made into cultural and
political targets, and we need to remind our churches that God makes the
treatment of the “strangers” among us a test of faith (Leviticus 19:33-34). We
won’t accept the neglect of the well-being of low-income families and children,
and we will resist repeated attempts to deny health care to those who most need
it. We confess our growing national sin of putting the rich over the poor. We
reject the immoral logic of cutting services and programs for the poor while
cutting taxes for the rich. Budgets are moral documents. We commit ourselves to
opposing and reversing those policies and finding solutions that reflect the
wisdom of people from different political parties and philosophies to seek the
common good. Protecting the poor is a central commitment of Christian
discipleship, to which 2,000 verses in the Bible attest.
IV. WE
BELIEVE that truth is morally central to our personal and public lives.
Truth-telling is central to the prophetic biblical tradition, whose vocation
includes speaking the Word of God into their societies and speaking the truth
to power. A commitment to speaking truth, the ninth commandment of the
Decalogue, “You shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16), is foundational
to shared trust in society. Falsehood can enslave us, but Jesus promises, “You
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). The search
and respect for truth is crucial to anyone who follows Christ.
THEREFORE,
WE REJECT the practice and pattern of lying that is invading our
political and civil life. Politicians, like the rest of us, are human,
fallible, sinful, and mortal. But when public lying becomes so persistent that
it deliberately tries to change facts for ideological, political, or personal
gain, the public accountability to truth is undermined. The regular purveying
of falsehoods and consistent lying by the nation’s highest leaders can change
the moral expectations within a culture, the accountability for a civil society,
and even the behavior of families and children. The normalization of lying
presents a profound moral danger to the fabric of society. In the face of lies
that bring darkness, Jesus is our truth and our light.
V. WE
BELIEVE that Christ’s way of leadership is servanthood, not domination.
Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (the world) lord it over
them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you;
but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew
20:25-26). We believe our elected officials are called to public service, not
public tyranny, so we must protect the limits, checks, and balances of
democracy and encourage humility and civility on the part of elected officials.
We support democracy, not because we believe in human perfection, but because
we do not. The authority of government is instituted by God to order an
unredeemed society for the sake of justice and peace, but ultimate authority
belongs only to God.
THEREFORE,
WE REJECT any moves toward autocratic political leadership and
authoritarian rule. We believe authoritarian political leadership is a
theological danger that threatens democracy and the common good—and we will
resist it. Disrespect for the rule of law, not recognizing the equal importance
of our three branches of government, and replacing civility with dehumanizing
hostility toward opponents are of great concern to us. Neglecting the ethic of
public service and accountability, in favor of personal recognition and gain often
characterized by offensive arrogance, are not just political issues for us.
They raise deeper concerns about political idolatry, accompanied by false and
unconstitutional notions of authority.
VI. WE
BELIEVE Jesus when he tells us to go into all nations making disciples
(Matthew 28:18). Our churches and our nations are part of an international
community whose interests always surpass national boundaries. The most
well-known verse in the New Testament starts with “For God so loved the world”
(John 3:16). We, in turn, should love and serve the world and all its
inhabitants, rather than seek first narrow, nationalistic prerogatives.
THEREFORE,
WE REJECT “America first” as a theological heresy for followers of
Christ. While we share a patriotic love for our country, we reject xenophobic
or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal.
We reject domination rather than stewardship of the earth’s resources, toward
genuine global development that brings human flourishing for all of God’s
children. Serving our own communities is essential, but the global connections
between us are undeniable. Global poverty, environmental damage, violent
conflict, weapons of mass destruction, and deadly diseases in some places
ultimately affect all places, and we need wise political leadership to deal
with each of these.
WE ARE
DEEPLY CONCERNED for the soul of our nation, but also for our churches and the
integrity of our faith. The present crisis calls us to go deeper—deeper into
our relationship to God; deeper into our relationships with each other,
especially across racial, ethnic, and national lines; deeper into our
relationships with the most vulnerable, who are at greatest risk.
The
church is always subject to temptations to power, to cultural conformity, and
to racial, class, and gender divides, as Galatians 3:28 teaches us. But our
answer is to be “in Christ,” and to “not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the
will of God—what is good and acceptable, and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
The
best response to our political, material, cultural, racial, or national
idolatries is the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me”
(Exodus 20:3). Jesus summarizes the Greatest Commandment: “You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, and your mind. This is the first
commandment. And the second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. On these commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew
22:38). As to loving our neighbors, we would add “no exceptions.”
We
commend this letter to pastors, local churches, and young people who are
watching and waiting to see what the churches will say and do at such a time as
this.
Our
urgent need, in a time of moral and political crisis, is to recover the power
of confessing our faith. Lament, repent, and then repair. If Jesus is Lord,
there is always space for grace. We believe it is time to speak and to act in
faith and conscience, not because of politics, but because we are disciples of
Jesus Christ—to whom be all authority, honor, and glory. It is time for a fresh
confession of faith. Jesus is Lord. He is the light in our darkness. “I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life” (John 8:12).
·
Bishop Carroll A. Baltimore, President and CEO, Global Alliance
Interfaith Networks
·
Rev. Dr. Peter Borgdorff, Executive Director Emeritus, Christian
Reformed Church in North America
·
Dr. Amos Brown, Chair, Social Justice Commission, National
Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
·
Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia
Theological Seminary
·
Dr. Tony Campolo, Co-Founder, Red Letter Christians
·
Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor
Conference
·
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate,
The Episcopal Church
·
Rev. Dr. James Forbes, President and Founder, Healing the
Nations Foundation and Preaching Professor at Union Theological Seminary
·
Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus,
Reformed Church in America
·
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian
Church, Decatur, GA
·
Rev. Dr. Richard Hamm, former General Minister and President of
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
·
Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Faith Community Organizer and Chairman,
Community Resource Network
·
Rev. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, The
Wesleyan Church
·
Bishop Vashti McKenzie, 117th Elected and Consecrated Bishop,
AME Church
·
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Co-Convener National African American
Clergy Network
·
Dr. John Perkins, Chair Emeritus and Founding Member, Christian
Community Development Association
·
Bishop Lawrence Reddick, CEO, Christian Methodist Episcopal
Church
·
Fr. Richard Rohr, Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation
·
Dr. Ron Sider, President Emeritus, Evangelicals for Social
Action
·
Rev. Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners
·
Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, Director, NCC Truth and Racial Justice
Initiative
·
Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Convener, National African
American Clergy Network; President, Skinner Leadership Institute
·
Bishop Will Willimon, Bishop, The United Methodist Church,
retired, Professor of the Practice of Ministry, Duke Divinity School
http://reclaimingjesus.org/
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