Colossians and Politics

My church is going through Colossians this summer and I posted this to our church blog.

Hi friends,

This post will be a little longer than normal, and for that, I apologize. However, the subject is one that is very important and must always be handled with respect.

Being the week of July 1 (Canada Day) and July 4 (U.S. Independence Day), let's reflect on politics and the book of Colossians. I know what some are thinking: Politics and religion are supposed to be separate! Separate, of course, means that political authority will not set up and promote any one religion. It does not mean that religion and politics will never be in competition or conflict. In fact, they often are. Colossians, though we often miss it, gives us a good picture of this sort of conflict.

First, let me draw your attention to recent speeches on patriotism by the two (presumptive) candidates for the 44th President of the U.S.A., Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. Give them a read. (You'll notice how similar they are, even though the politics of both men is fairly different!)

Take special note of these two quotations and what they imply. First, Senator McCain says, "Patriotism is deeper than its symbolic expressions, than sentiments about place and kinship that move us to hold our hands over our hearts during the national anthem. It is putting the country first, before party or personal ambition, before anything." Second, Senator Obama says, "In the end, it may be this quality that best describes patriotism in my mind — not just a love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, one another as Americans."

In Paul's day, the Roman Empire had established what is called the Pax Romana, the Peace of Rome. Rome boasted a gospel that it had brought peace and prosperity because of the divinity and glory of their rulers. Paul, however, says something different. Paul wishes peace from God the Father (1:3), not Rome, because the gospel is that God brought reconciliation through Jesus Christ (1:21-23). And rather than Caesar being the head, it is Jesus--he is the image of God, the ruler of all powers, rulers, and authorities (1:15-17).

Paul has taken the political language of his culture and has made sure that his readers know that Jesus is the one to whom they owe primary allegiance. We must also listen to the language of political leaders and critique our own allegiances. As Christians, we could never agree with Senator McCain that we should put our countries before anything and we should push Senator Obama's boundaries of loving Americans, and be defined as a community of people who love all, and who have primary allegiance to brothers and sisters of the true Lord, Jesus.

This is not to say that Christians cannot be proud of their country and have a sense of loyalty to it. Paul was very proud of his Jewish heritage and tradition! However, his loyalty was first and always to Jesus and that put him at odds with his fellow Jews from time to time. Christians of the 21st century should expect nothing different.