A couple of Sundays ago, we had a very interesting and fruitful class after worship on Christian nationalism; something that is a very dangerous expression of our faith that has found legitimacy in many quarters.

A bottom-line question that we batted around was this: Given the hateful rhetoric that underlies Christian nationalism, is it really “Christian” in the first place?

The answer we seemed to collectively arrive at was that it is a movement outside of the Christian faith that has appropriated our language and symbols for decidedly anti-Christian purposes.

That said, where do we draw that line? What about less radical but still conservative Christians with whom we disagree on important issues like abortion, same-gender rights, and climate change? Are they just on a different page or are they in an entirely different book? When does a person’s views and values put them outside of the Christian faith? How wide is our welcome, really?

There are no easy answers to these questions and I suspect each of us would put that line in a slightly different place. Nonetheless, it is absolutely remarkable how different we Christians can be.

One of the things that I have noticed in my own ministerial career is the extent to which those differences have become polarizing. Ecumenical work is harder to come by these days not just because the decline of mainline Protestantism has put too many churches in survival mode, but also because our tolerance for one another has declined as well.

Progressive and conservative Christians are far less likely to shake hands and celebrate what they share in common. Those relationships are now fraught with tension and a desire to convince the other of the incorrectness of their beliefs. It has left a lot of those involved in ecumenical work to walk away asking “Why bother?”

Personally, I continue to hold to the idea that different churches and denominations are all simply different colors on the same tapestry of our faith and people will gravitate to the color they prefer. At the same time, that tapestry does not extend forever. There are boundaries of belief and some do fall outside of those boundaries.

If there is a litmus test, it is whether or not our faith in Christ reflects compassion, fairness, and equality. Human dignity, peace, and stewardship of God’s creation are all at the heart of the Gospel message of love and justice for all.

If these things are not one’s starting place then it is a very short distance to hate, fearmongering, and violence which will, indeed, put one outside of the Christian faith.

See you in church,
–Rev. Dominic