Make America-ns Great Again

I was watching a Trump rally recently and noticed the banners across the arena emblazoned with “Make America Great Again” and “ Keep America Great”.  The crowd  chanted “four more years!” as President Trump listed the many worldly accomplishments of his tenure as President. On the surface, these slogans sound as patriotic and pro-American as anything I’ve ever heard. What red blooded American could ever disagree with making our country great? So we pretty much all agree as Americans that we want our country to be great but what exactly is the definition of a great country? What is the formula or secret sauce of making a nation great? 

I came to the conclusion that what really makes America great are Americans themselves. And if this is the case, then shouldn’t the slogan be “Make Americans Great Again”? And if Americans are what make this country great, then what is it that makes us as  Americans great on an individual level?

I believe as followers of Christ we need to consider this question not only from the perspective as citizens of a worldly kingdom, but more importantly, from the perspective as citizens of God’s kingdom. As citizens of the worldly kingdom, we are told that what makes us great are wealth, power, fame, intelligence, physical beauty, being a certain skin color, belonging to the right religious denomination or political party, etc. We know intuitively as followers of Christ that Jesus considered none of these as important contributions to the worth of a human being. In fact, the Apostle Paul described the attributes of greatness in God’s kingdom when he talked about the fruits of a spirit filled believer in Galatians 5: 22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. Furthermore in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:3-10) Jesus describes the qualities of those who will be blessed to live in his kingdom with words such as meekness, poor in spirit, a mourning heart, merciful, peacemaker, and a willingness to be persecuted for righteousness. ‭

It is very clear that what will make America great again is a deep rooted “inside-out” revival, not at the national level, but at the level of the individual. Remember, Christ transforms us from the inside by changing our hearts which then radiates out into the world to reveal him to others. This transformation of the hearts of our fellow Americans will then allow the Holy Spirit to burst forth into other areas of our society such as our schools and government. Contrast this with the “outside-in” approach which is what the world is attempting to use which has and never will produce lasting change.

A prime example of the failure of this approach is evident in the efforts of secular society to legislate morality by creating law after law in an attempt to regain control of an out of control and immoral populace. What they refuse to admit is that people obey laws because of an innate morality which only comes from God. Laws will never work in a free society until the hearts of man return to God. This can only happen from the “inside-out” transformation that happens when one accepts Christ.

“This transformation of the hearts of our fellow Americans will then allow the Holy Spirit to burst forth into other areas of our society such as our schools and government.”

Therefore, if we truly believe that the message of Christ is the only way to bring greatness to our nation, then it seems like the main effort of all believers should be to accept the great commission given to us by Jesus himself, to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28: 16-20‬). Any actions taken by Christians in response to strife or disagreement must be looked at through this paradigm. In other words, we should ask ourselves will the action I’m about to take or the words I’m about to speak further the ultimate goal of spreading the gospel or will it harm it?

However, what I see today from many Christians and Christian leaders is just the opposite. I see many using the “outside-in” approach by using tactics which are antithetical and even harmful to the sharing of the gospel. Instead of injecting love, peace and forbearance into situations they instead return in-kind the hate, discord, and impatience shown to them.  We cannot yell at each other, call each other names, and denigrate each other as human beings and expect peaceful and lasting outcomes. Moreover, in the context of sharing the gospel, showing disrespect for those who hold opposite viewpoints only hardens their hearts to the message of Christ, especially when it comes from someone who holds themselves out to be a Christian. 

“We cannot yell at each other, call each other names, and denigrate each other as human beings and expect peaceful and lasting outcomes.”

Instead, we need to call forth the tools of the Holy Spirit by showing humility, respect, and love especially in disagreement. Paul gives us the same guidance in his second letter to Timothy in verses 23-26 where he says, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

Yes, this is hard to do and yes it takes much humility and empathy but isn’t this the very thing our Lord commanded us to do? Not only did he command it but his example on the cross was the definitive model for how we are to conduct ourselves. Think about it, at any moment during his torturous crucifixion Jesus could have called down all the angels of heaven to rescue him from his tormentors. On the very cross itself, and to the bitter end, Jesus gave us the ultimate example of how to deal with those who oppose us.

They cursed him, yet he did not curse them back. They whipped him mercilessly, yet he did not strike them back. They spit on him, yet he did not spit back at them. He loved them even unto his death, asking his Father to forgive them, and by doing so defeated death and Satan to transform the world.

It is by following our Lord’s example that we can truly make Americans Great and by doing so Make America Great Again. In fact, it is the only Way.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬