Nationalism is dangerous.

Christian nationalism is toxic.

White Christian nationalism is deadly.

Nationalism is the belief that my particular country is superior to all others. it is therefore the natural order of things that my country should rule over all others by having the biggest, strongest military, and the biggest strongest economy. Everything in the nationalistic nation is seen as superior – we have the smartest people, the best educated, the fiercest fighters, the greatest …

Christian nationalism is the belief that the Creator of the universe has especially chosen our country to not only be superior to all others, but to be God’s favorite, God’s chosen, God’s especially blessed and guided. God is on our side. We rule, we control because it is our divine mission. God has revealed to us the way of righteousness. We are God’s appointed moral police. It is our duty to impose God’s laws on others.

White Christian nationalism is the belief that God has not only chosen the United States of America to be God’s beacon to the world, but God has specifically chosen light skinned people (usually white men) whose ancestors came from northern Europe to be in charge – to rule the land.

Nationalism mustn’t be confused with patriotism. Patriotism is love for and appreciation of one’s heritage. All cultural heritages have things within them worth preserving and celebrating. They also all have things in their pasts that call for repentance and reconciliation. 

Nationalism is the sin of pride on full display. It makes the nation an idol. It rewrites history, promotes national myths, ignores and denies national sin. It is arrogant. It is contrary to the Kingdom of God, which is made up of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Christian nationalism reinforces nationalism by giving it imagined divine authority. Christian nationalism conflates the teachings of Jesus with tribalism. It is unbiblical. In no biblical sense is Christian nationalism truly Christian. It is the homogenization of state and institutional religion. Christian nationalism ignores Jesus’ self-sacrificial cruciform love, as well as his teachings on justice, peace, nonviolence, service, denial of self, generosity, forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace. It aligns itself with ungodly political views.

White Christian nationalism stirs racism into the poison stew. It also typically adds xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny as well. White Christian nationalism produced the Crusades, the Inquisition, chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and the Third Reich. It is spreading rapidly in contemporary American politics, and will, if it comes to fruition, lead to national demise.

I am a follower of Jesus. Not the imaginary Jesus of White Christian nationalism, but the real Jesus, revealed to us in four historically accurate gospel narratives. Following Jesus means pledging allegiance to him alone, not anyone’s flag; being a citizen of the Kingdom of God before any nation. Following Jesus means doing (with the enablement of the Holy Spirit) what he said to do – turn the other cheek, eschew war, killing, and violence, serve the broken, marginalized, and disenfranchised, promote justice, lovingly embrace all people, take care of creation, forgive all, wash feet, extend God’s love to all.