MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
Last week we began a series on the life and teachings of Jesus, focused on evidence about Him from a historical perspective. I'd like to again put on a historian hat to address the upcoming election and recent events. There's anxiety on both sides, changes are announced every day, and many have concerns about who will win and what'll happen if "the other candidate" is in office.
The way our nation was established has prevented revolutions: every four years there's an election, when we as citizens can change things if we don't care for the outcome of the last election. We're Americans, proud of our nation, and we desire security, prosperity and peace. All that brought me to take a closer look at our pledge of allegiance, which originated in the 1880s. A former Civil War captain named George Thatcher Balch, who later wrote a book on patriotism and was involved in the New York educational system, penned a short pledge for school children.
In 1892, at a recognition of the arrival of Columbus, the pledge was modified by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister and socialist who worked for a magazine called The Youth's Companion. For Bellamy, it seemed especially important for immigrant children to focus on the American flag and the values it represented. As a footnote, the magazine had recently sponsored a contest, and Bellamy's version closely resembles a submission from a young student from Hays, Kansas.
In earlier pledges, there was no mention of God, so in 1954 President Dwight Eisenhower approved the 31-word version of the pledge of allegiance that today millions recite. Our nation is unique, based not on ethnicity - we've been called a melting pot of cultures and races - but instead, we center on ideology, "under God, with liberty and justice for all". It is our allegiance to God that provides freedom and justice, as well as peace and security.
Jesus came to earth and asked followers to follow on a journey, hear what He had to say, experience what He experienced. Two scriptures illustrate what life could be when heaven steps down and lives among people on earth. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus prayed, "'Thy kingdom come...'", which transports many to end times - when Jesus returns and establishes his kingdom on earth. But His kingdom starts way before that as He gathers Followers.
Next words in the Lord's Prayer are, "'thy will be done, on earth...'" - not when we all get to heaven. Jesus spoke of truth and grace, and His presence, just to be around Him, was heavenly. Right before His ascension, some disciples gathered around and asked, "'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Their question indicated they were still hung-up on an earthly rule.
The theme of Jesus' messages, as recorded by three Gospel writers, was "the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew) and "the kingdom of God" (Mark and Luke). So, in the context of those authors - whose audiences were mostly Greek, Roman, and Jewish - the kingdom was functionally synonymous: not Israel, not America, certainly not Democrat or Republican, but a kingdom of the heart.
When we try to describe God's kingdom, it's natural to use what we value. Even John did this in the Book of Revelation when he wrote of crystal, precious gems, streets of gold. But remember, John was illustrating a city that needs no sun, where the Son is the light, the warmth, and the very temple. Love, beauty, peace and security are found in Jesus and in His kingdom, which begins within believers the moment we accept His new life.
Let’s look at a few scriptures. Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary in Luke 1:32, 33: "'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.'"
Luke 17:20-21 says, after Jesus healed the ten lepers, "Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; ... for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.'" In the King James Version, the Greek word entos is translated, "within you". This kingdom of the heart will connect people and is held together by Jesus' power, wisdom, and truth.
In Matthew 23:28, Jesus compared the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs. "'So, you too outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.'" While appearing pure, the Pharisees were dead and dirty internally. The important issue is what's inside each of us.
To become part of such a kingdom, there are two commandments. "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And ... Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself'" (Matthew 22:37 and Luke 10:27). Both are experienced with new birth in the Spirit, as Jesus shared with Nicodemus in John chapter 3.
Even when things are uncertain politically, the kingdom of heaven can be our strength, our peace, a love that passes understanding, and the assurance that God cares for us.
