When the Cross Meets the Flag

By Nita Wilkinson

Faith Editor

The cross, once an instrument of execution and shame in the Roman Empire, has become a symbol of redemption and freedom.

The American flag has long represented our nation, its ideals and our shared identity.

What happens when you wrap the cross in the flag?

Words matter. So do symbols. Both can unite us, and both can divide us. Few phrases illustrate that better today than "Christian nationalism.”

Before deciding whether the label fits, or whether it should be embraced or rejected, we first have to answer a much simpler question: What do people actually mean when they say it?

It turns out that answer varies by person. The more people I talked to, the more I realized they weren't all answering the same question.

For former pastor Bryan Baker, it wasn’t patriotism. It’s what happens when political identity begins to overshadow Jesus. He sees a movement led by conservative values, but that is selective.

“They are incredibly passionate about Christian values as they see them, but I have seen no evidence of the things Jesus spoke most often about. Jesus was constantly talking about love, forgiveness, grace and welcoming others. He lived this out by regularly sharing meals and healing and caring for people of other cultures and religions.”

Baker further expressed that he believes they have a similar heart for seeing life change and turning from sin, but he believes this movement does that through separation and condemnation.

Others don't define the issue by a movement at all, but by the kingdom to which Christians ultimately belong. Lisa Brown said, “The only true Christian realm is God’s kingdom, which God intends to be separate from any natural law group.”

She went on to state that God’s kingdom can’t be confined in a concept of nation. Brown also talked about the issue of tribalism in Christian Nationalism, a tribalism that she believes is rooted in idolatry.

“When we turn our backs on God and hold our tribalism closer to our hearts than we hold His creation, we are being disloyal to our country because we put ourselves out of favor with God,” she said.

Josh Dougle takes a different approach. Rather than focusing on labels, he focuses on whether Christians are allowing Scripture, not political parties, to shape their thinking.

“Christians absolutely should bring biblical principles into politics. We should care about the poor, the sick, the immigrant, the prisoner, justice, mercy, human dignity, and how government policies affect real people.

“Jesus is Lord. He doesn't need to be rewritten as a spokesman for the Democratic Party—or the Republican Party.”

Dougle also talked about the fact that Christians can disagree about which policies actually accomplish those ends. He said opposing a particular government program is not the moral equivalent of refusing to feed a hungry person, or deporting someone who has no legal right to remain in a country is not automatically the moral equivalent of refusing to welcome the stranger in Matthew 25.

Pastor Josh Howerton takes this thought one step further. He advocates for every Christian to vote. He considers it a responsibility.

“If you are a Christian, vote. And don’t just vote, do it with knowledge, and make sure it’s Biblical,” Howerton said.

Maybe that's why this conversation has generated more heat than light. It's easier to assign a label than to explore the biblical reasoning behind a person's convictions.

According to the Pew Research Center, only about 17 percent of Americans believe the federal government should declare Christianity the nation's official religion. At the same time, 55 percent say religion's influence on American life is positive.

Yet despite the growing public conversation, 37 percent of Americans say they have never heard the term "Christian nationalism," and many more say they aren't sure what it means

It’s interesting that while more may be talking about it, it’s not a new concept. Many historians trace one stream of today's discussion to the 1940s with the discussion of the New Deal. Christian Libertarianism sought to frame free-market capitalism as a divine mandate against the new deal. Later Jerry Falwell lead a movement to shift the focus from economics to social and cultural issues called the Moral Majority.

The political issues associated with Christian identity have changed over time. Economic freedom dominated one period; social and cultural issues became prominent later.

Definitions may vary, political movements may change and labels may come and go. For Christians, however, the measuring stick doesn't. We return to Scripture. It is clear where we should put our allegiance, repeatedly warning against placing trust in human institutions.

The psalmist in 146 instructs us not to put our trust in princes, they are not our salvation. And Psalm 118 takes it one step further and reminds us that only God is our security.

Jeremiah declares: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.” (Jer 17:5–8) And Paul tells us our citizenship is in heaven with our Savior. (Phil 3:20)

Scripture doesn't stop there. It reminds us to respect those who lead our countries, states and cities. It says to honor our governing authorities, (Romans 13) and pray for our leaders, whether we voted for them or not. (1 Timothy 2)

We are to love our country, serve our neighbors and to participate faithfully. But we should never confuse our citizenship on earth with our citizenship in heaven. Thankfully there, there will be no question about loyalty.

So, back to the question, should we wrap the cross in the flag?

Scripture never asks us to wrap the cross in a flag. It asks us to carry the cross. It tells us to honor governing authorities, pray for leaders, seek the good of our communities, and live as faithful citizens. But it also reminds us that our highest allegiance belongs to Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world. ■