I have written a whole blog that we were not founded as a Christian nation. Let me just quote John Adams that “the government of the United States, is not in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” The concept of a Christian nation and Christian Nationalism has been put forth mostly by conservative Republicans. There is no basis in any writings of the founding fathers that supports this notion.
Christian Nationalists must be totally ignorant of the fact that what is in our founding documents is the separation of Church and State. We learned that in our first exploration of history in elementary school.
However, given the above facts, it is unsettling to read the data of the Pew Research Center which conducted a survey on this very issue.
The survey indicated that; “Most Americans think the founders of America intended for the U.S. to be a ‘Christian nation’, more than four in ten think that the United States should be a Christian nation. However, Americans’ views of what it means to be a Christian nation are wide ranging and often ambiguous. To some, being a Christian nation implies Christian based laws and governance. For others it means the subtle guidance of Christian beliefs and values in everyday life, or even simply a population with faith in something bigger…The blending or mixing up of faith and politics so that they are indistinguishable.”
Christian Nationalists have been linked to white supremacy and other belief systems that are more like cults than a religious expression of faith. That is why Trump courted the religious right and is upset now that he Is not receiving the support of Christians of various stripes in our nation. Trump is always transactional in what he does. He wants payback from the Jews because “he has been the best thing for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.” Somehow, he has not reflected on the rise of antisemitism in our nation. That is what Christian Nationalist has, in part, caused.
One of our former faculty members who is Jewish died Sunday. Her daughter emailed me and followed up with a phone call. She indicated that there will be a rabbi conducting the service, but she asked if I could speak because “mom wasn’t tied to any religion but she would want you to speak because you knew her the best.” What a privilege it will be for me to speak about her. I think that is what Jesus would do.
I have had a blessing in my life that has been to be Chaplain of a School that was based in an Episcopal heritage but contained families from many faith traditions that make up our country. I had some Christian Nationalists as well. I drove them crazy.
Episcopal Schools would call me and ask, “How are you doing this religious diversity thing. It’s tearing our school apart.” Sometimes it was the then president of the National Episcopal Schools Association that referred them to me. They were shocked to hear that I thought that our religious diversity was the best thing about our school and some of our outside evaluators agreed. Forget Christian Nationalism. Try Faith Internationalism. The world in which our kids are going into requires an attitude that can meet the moment that history will deliver to us. It will be a major inflection point for Christianity and other faiths to figure out how we can advance the word of God, and live in such a way that we reflect overtly the values of our faith perspective as well as its teachings. In my case, it would be Christianity.
As Nelson Mandala indicated “sports can unite people” but that can also be the work of our faith traditions. They will know us by our love!
So here is what I told people regarding what we did at EA with emphasis on the word “we.”
Know what you believe and feel and share it with a passion but remember that there are a lot of other people in the world that have their passionate beliefs as well.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone, or you will be nothing to anyone. Be clear about your beliefs and share them.
My guideline for chapel which was based in the Christian tradition is that other people who are present may don’t believe as you do. Don’t look down on them. Look up to them. Cast your vision to higher ground. That means when anyone is addressing chapel, they should share the importance of their faith in their lives and how it nourishes them. Since we are a school, it would be helpful to hear the guidelines of their faith. THEY CAN’T SAY THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE AND YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE AS I DO AS WELL.
What seemed to me to be very important is that I always told the community that my faith could be deepened by experiencing the faith of another. That’s true for everyone. The community learned that differences in the various faiths could be shared in a safe environment and be appreciated and never spoken about in any negative way. Safety of expression is essential. They need to remember that sanctuary means “safe place.” Have students who are elected from their peers to meet several times a week to share with the spiritual life group and me feedback they are getting from the community and what the community really needed to hear about. THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. I ACTED AS A COACH AND RESOURCE. THE STUDENT LEADERS MADE EVERYTHING HAPPEN. IT WAS THEM, NOT ME, THAT CREATED A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE FELT THAT FAITH IS CENTRAL TO A LIFE OF PURPOSE. A COACH HAS A ROLE, BUT THE PLAYERS PLAY THE GAME.
You would be surprised how little people know about a faith tradition outside of their own.
What does this look like in real time. I had a Jewish student who started our school in first grade. The family was practicing Jews and fearful that the experience at Episcopal may not be helpful to him. I met with them. I advised that the parents talk to other Jewish parents for they had heard that it was a school based solidly in the Christian tradition. The student enrolled. Fast forward to his senior year where students can address chapel about what values, faith, worship, and more meant to them in the three times a week chapel services. We were on the old campus at the time. The Chapel was one of the first modern churches in the Philly area including vaulting glass from ground to steeple. This boy just mentioned asked to speak in chapel when he was a senior. His parents were present. I will never forget his words, “When I first came to chapel, I thought that I was coming into a space ship, but now I know that I have been coming to God’s living room. What my parents feared the most was what meant the most in my time here.” Our then headmaster told me later that he shed tears!
Sacred stuff for families occurs often in their living rooms!
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