By FRANK REMKIEWICZ
Columnist
We live in an increasingly complex society. But is it a Christian society?
Can there be societies within societies? The rather obvious answer is that there certainly can be societies within societies. Let’s examine this question in depth.
What is a society? There are a myriad of definitions, but I think the Merriam-Webster definition(s) best answer the question:
A community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests. A part of a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct: a social circle or a group of social circles having a clearly marked identity.
Here we get a “two-fer” that meets our goal. The definition that meets a Christian’s goal for describing a society is “a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct.”
The Christian community is a unit within the United States that is distinguishable by standards set by Jesus Christ. But what are our standards? Our standards are simple. 1) Worship the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. And as if Jesus really needed to “do a mic drop” he said, “on these two commandments hang all the laws and the prophets.” Jesus also added two very poignant tips. The first is found in Mark 12:17; Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The second “tip” is found in John 16:36; “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” If you are a Christian, we live in a Christian community with unique standards of behavior in the United States. The difference between the United States and our Christian community is found in the goals and standards of each community. The United States’ goal is to be the world’s smartest, most innovative, most prosperous, and most powerful country. We want to be second to no other country. These are admirable goals for this world. But we are Christians, and we are not of this world. As Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” In the gospel of Mark, Christ warns us, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
A Christian’s goal is to obtain everlasting life in God’s kingdom. Our goals may in some sense be compatible but our standards are not. Here are the differences: in the United States, we believe that being first means winning at all costs. Most public education testing programs involve reciting facts and not learning how to think. No one seems to win a political office without using a large helping of negative research on the other candidates. Candidates for office no longer tell us how they can serve their constituency. Instead, candidates spend millions of dollars denigrating their opponents. In global affairs, the standard is world domination through national defense spending. In economics, our U.S. standard is “dog eat dog.” Our capitalist economic system is very misunderstood. We use the capitalistic economic system to crush the little guy. Bigger is better. Box stores gobble up mom-and-pop shops.
Christianity does not require or demand that we be first or winners. It demands that we worship our God and have no other gods before us. Christ wants us to learn how to be honest, fair, and of the utmost integrity. Christian education is Christ as the Master, and we are his students. We learn and inwardly digest the word of the Lord. Christians learn to think about our relationship with God and our neighbor. Christianity means loving our neighbor, not lording over them how powerful we are. Christian economics is about sharing what we have with those less fortunate than us. Within the capitalist economy, we can champion fair wages, good benefits, and great products while still making a profit. “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.” (Luke 6:29)
Are we, as Christians, then unable to reconcile living in these United States? Are the two societies in opposition? Of course not. Our Christian community can co-exist within the United States social fabric. However, our goals and the standards by which we live and act are not always compatible. Christians must remember, “Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” The most glaring example is in the economic system. We turn a profit in order to share what we have with those less fortunate than we are, and we do it without regard to friend or foe. Christians look to anyone and everyone who needs a helping hand. In the immediate years after the resurrection, we see all sorts of Christian communities come together and share all they have equally. To the uninitiated, these communities are called Utopias. To Christians, these communities embody Christ’s reflection here in the United States. It is unfortunate that these communities do not last long, but it is good to know that Christians continually strive to create a little “slice of heaven” here on earth. Not to change the world but to change us in the world.
Francis (Frank) Remkiewicz is an area resident and contributes a monthly column focused primarily on faith and religion. He can be reached at fremkiewicz@gmail.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
