Tuesday, September 19, 2006

a christian/american or american/christian?

i just ran across this brief article over at desiring god, and i found myself wishing every media outlet would air it. take a moment to read this excerpt, and then i dare you to go read the whole article. it will take less than five minutes, but the effects, if lived out, will last for your entire lifetime.

More than ever since 9/11, Christians in America,
and especially Christians in the U.S. government,
should make clear that there is a radical distinction
between Christianity, on the one hand, and American
culture and the American political system,
on the other hand. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,
Jews, atheists, and all other non-Christians need
to know this for Christ's sake.
They need to know that Jesus Christ-crucified

for sinners, risen from the dead, and reigning as
God from heaven today-was accomplishing his
purposes, gathering a people for himself from
every culture, and building his church before
America ever existed, and will be omnipotently
doing the same centuries from now, even if
America becomes a footnote in world history.
Christianity and American culture are radically
distinct. It is possible to be a faithful Christian under
any regime in the world-and may be easier to be a
radical, cross-bearing disciple of Jesus in regimes
less prosperous than America.
We should make that clear over and over in these days.


i encourage you to take five minutes and go read the entire article here

-stephen

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