Spiritual Hiccups - Are We a "Christian Church?"

I live in Ohio, one of several states currently considering legislation to curb the bargaining power of public employee unions.  While Ohio hasn't produced the sort of headlines coming out of Wisconsin, the rhetoric here is no less bitter.  Republicans are "attacking the middle class," while Democrats help unions gorge themselves on taxpayer money, totally unconcerned about the state's fiscal crisis.

American politics has long been a "contact sport," but it isn't all that hard to find instances where fights in the church don't look so different from the polarized, partisan bickering that passes for legislative debate.  I am over-generalizing and stereotyping, but I have seen debates on the floor of my own denomination's governing bodies that appeared to be opposing sides employing whatever carefully crafted strategy they deemed most likely to defeat their evil opponents. 

Contrast this with Paul's words in today's epistle reading.  He says that because it is only by God's mercy that he is who he is and engaged in his ministry, he does not lose heart even in the face of huge difficulty, suffering, or what appears to be defeat.  Because he doesn't measure by the world's standards he can say, "We refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God."  Paul doesn't need to employ a slick strategy to counter the equally slick strategy of his opponents.  He simply speaks the gospel and leaves the rest up to God.

And if that seems like an unworkable, impractical way of accomplishing anything, consider what Jesus says.  "Do not resist an evil doer... Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  Now I've never been sure if Jesus expects people to employ such methods, or if Jesus would condemn force used to save someone.  And the Church has long wrestled with how to reconcile Jesus' teachings with the states need to employ force and "just wars."  But even if there are reasonable exceptions to Jesus' teachings on non-violence and pacifism, surely such exceptions must be carefully weighed and thought out.  Surely we must acknowledge that we are acting contrary to a particular teaching of Jesus, and own up to that.

One of the arguments that has become a part of America's current partisan divides is the question of whether we are a "Christian nation."  Without engaging that debate, it seems to me that, in light of Jesus' teachings on love, at times we would do well to consider whether or not we are even a Christian church.

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