When I did supply preaching on a regular basis, I was often called on to preach the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July holiday. It was a popular vacation time for many pastors. My default sermon was built on this text (found in the three Synoptic gospels). The role of faith (church) and state (empire) was as much an issue then as now.
My usual approach was to point out that Christians are actually citizens of two kingdoms. One is the Kingdom (or Reign) of God which is emerging among us--almost but not yet. The other kingdom is the secular state in which we live. I always argued that both are important to believers, but we should never confuse the two and our Christian citizenship always takes priority.
I write this, first of all, from the perspective of being a citizen of the United States of America. In this role, I pay taxes, vote in all elections, try to keep myself informed about politics and government issues, say the pledge of allegiance, and fly the American flag on the appropriate holidays. I have also served in the armed forces of my country.
Why do I do these things? There are many reasons. I do it because we, as a country, usually end up doing the right thing. Churchill is reported to have said, “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.” Whether he actually said it or not, I think this is true. At our core, we want to do the right thing.
I also do this for others. I do it for my family--my children, my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. All of those are no longer here, but I think I honor them all by being a good citizen and contributing in some small way to the stability of our nation.
I also do it for comrades who have fought and died in American wars. I do it for my father and grandfather in served in wartime. I know people who did not come back from Vietnam, but I do this for them because they are not here to do it themselves.
I also do it because I believe that our nation is still a work in progress. The founding documents of our nation did not reflect the reality of the situation at the time they were written--women could not vote, thousands of people were enslaved, native people were being eliminated, and the rich predominated. The Declaration of Independence has always been an aspirational document, challenging us to grow, develop, create something new, and to be better people.
Perhaps this is the point at which the secular kingdom and the Kingdom of God are alike. Both are emergent. Neither is fully formed. Just as the Reign of God is breaking through, perhaps the secular kingdom is evolving and breaking through in new and beneficial ways. This is something that Christians can pray will come to pass.
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