The State of the Union

An Open Letter to the International Christian Community from an American Evangelical

I was reflecting this morning with a friend of mine from South Africa about the implications of our recent elections, and that conversation inspired me to attempt to launch a dialog between our leaders and the rest of the world about the future of American Evangelicalism, and make a request of you as an international christian Leader.

This looks to me like a major transitional season in our identity as a nation, and especially for the American evangelical community. African Americans feel empowered as never before. The world’s perceptions of and relationship to us is changing (certainly most of the world hopes it will!) Our young evangelical leaders in the emergent and missional movements are charting different paths that we are in what it means to be a Christian in society. Our economy is in chaos. Because Democrats have achieved large majorities in two consecutive elections, the Republican party we largely align with is in the throes of a major identity crisis. And  that reevaluation will have a big effect on how American evangelicals engage government and the world.

I believe that for American evangelicals these circumstances represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take a hard look at ourselves and fundamentally rethink how we live the gospel in the public sphere. In the coming few years, we could choose to undertake the painful journey of reevaluation and repentance that will lead us to greater depth, impact and obedience—or we can aggressively blame those ungodly others for our perceived national decline, remain entrenched in our existing positions, or even retreat from the public sphere altogether. I believe, however, that God is in this, and that our current economic and political uncertainties are a plow, meant to break open the well-trodden paths of our American belief systems to receive the seed of God’s word. It is a time with the potential for extraordinary, 100-fold returns. Blowing through our rattled souls is an opportunity—a wild, bracing wind of the Spirit of God. I feel the call to a new greatness, a Kingdom-of-God-centered greatness instead of simply an American greatness. I don’t want us to miss this chance to reexamine our hearts!

But I believe we will miss it if we walk through it on our own. At this turning point for Christians in America, we desperately need the perspective of the worldwide body of Christ. This election has captured the imagination of people around the world—you are engaged in our struggles as never before. And our economic crisis touches all of you as well—you have a stake in the choices we make here. And that creates a unique opportunity for us to work together to hear what God would say about American Christianity.

Today, we need your eyes to help us see who we really are, so that we can become what God has called us to be.

It may surprise you, but we need to hear from you that love us as American Christians. We have become so used to hearing everyone tell us what is wrong with us, or seeing shouts of Death to America on the TV news, that we unconsciously believe we are alone in the world. One of the most moving moments for many of us in the 9/11 crisis was seeing people actually rally and pray for America across the globe. I remember the tears coursing down my face when I saw that on CNN—people are actually marching for America? Within that moment of pain, the fact that you were for us and not against us touched a deep wound in our national psyche. We need to be touched again, and yet more deeply, in that place of pain.

But we also need you to help us understand our need to change. We have some serious blind spots. One of them is that we don’t listen to you all very well. A tenet that is at the heart of our national identity is “rugged individualism.” We see ourselves as strong, free, and independent. Our perspective tends to be that the world follows in our footsteps, and we are a beacon to others. We think you all need our help, and not vice versa—and we are proud of that. It reminds me of something the Apostle John once said: “You say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing;’ not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” Our interdependence with the world is coming home to us right now—we are not as powerful and secure and self-determining as we thought. John’s prescription for that soul illness was salve to anoint their eyes, so that they could see. We could use some of that salve.

Yes, we are aware (at least to some degree) that we look pretty materialistic, self-centered, arrogant and individualistic. We’ve been told that a lot. But these actions are only the outward manifestation of the way we see ourselves—of our American Christian identity. Jesus was pretty clear that what you do comes out of who you are. So how we act is not going to change until our beliefs about ourselves change. I do not think beating us over the head with what we do wrong will produce change. We need eye salve—perspective on who we are—to see where our values and core beliefs do not line up with the gospel. Show us new ways of being, help us discover new ways to see ourselves, and then we might be transformed from the heart.

Maybe the place we most need outside perspective is on the difference between Americanism and the gospel. For instance, on the environment, our political dichotomy seems to offer us the choice of either worshipping the environment or raping it. The environment is a global issue, and we need your help in getting beyond our American boxes and figuring out a truly Christian way of stewarding our shared world.

Another place we need perspective is in learning how to live in a nation where we are not in the majority any more. For instance, we believe that abortion is wrong, but our attempts to pursue justice in the political arena just underwent another resounding defeat. We have painted ourselves into a corner on this issue, and we need some help figuring out what to do next. Help us understand how God’s purposes are accomplished in societies where Christians are not in charge or in the majority. Show us how you are a witness for Christ on these issues in societies where you don’t control the outcomes, and maybe we will see a new way for us.

On our on hot-button issues (like economics, terrorism, gay rights, the war in Iraq, etc.) we have become just as polarized as our society. We’ve largely lost the ability talk with our own brothers and sisters honorably about our differences, and we are impoverished for it. Like with Euodia and Syntyche in Phillippi, someone else has to step in and help us agree in the Lord. I’m sure you’ve seen as much as you ever want to of our bloody political campaigning and our savage treatment of each other on the internet—when we aren’t speaking lovingly with other the way scripture calls for, call us to account on it! We don’t seem to be to maintain biblical speech with each other without help—so help us.

I’m sure there is much more that we don’t see where we could learn from you. Where we are we straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel? When do we get so overwrought about a minor issue that we start neglecting the weightier matters of justice and mercy? Where have we let out fears drive us instead of allowing our faith in God’s sovereignty to lead us? How are we pursuing good ends in ways that discredit the gospel and make your work of bringing your nations to Christ harder?

And tell us how would you like your relationship with us to change. Paint a picture for us of what could happen if we stopped being loners on the world stage and related to you as equals. Show us how we come across to Kurds and Indonesians and Ethiopians, and help us understand why. We’re never going to be everyone’s friend, but if we don’t figure out how the rest of the world thinks, we’ll end up without any friends at all.

For most American Evangelicals, our only contact with world Christianity is through missions—us helping you. That’s another thing that impoverishes us. We need your help as much as you need ours—we just don’t see it yet. To really grasp that, we need your ministering to us to become as much a part of our lives as our attempts to go and give to you. How can we make that happen?

I want to close with a challenge to you: to meet our strength with your strength. I’m not talking about strength of arms, or strength of wealth—I’m talking about strength of ideas and force of character. When one group has been dominant for a while, we all get used to relating that way—and just as we’ve grown used to getting our way, I wonder if you all have grown used to sighing about those ugly American Christians and all the crazy things they do, and then just letting us do them.

The world is too interconnected for that to work any more. We as representatives of Christ in America will never be what God wants us to be without walking in real community with you. But we are brash, opinionated and forthright, so if you don’t come to us in strength as well as love your words probably won’t penetrate the compacted soil of our hearts. We need this favor from you also: that you would speak to us in the ways that we can hear, even if that kind of directness doesn’t come naturally in your own culture.

Without a deep strength of humility, it will be impossible for American Evangelicals to assume the posture of weakness needed to hear the Father’s correction in this troubled time. Despite our current difficulties, we are still far from that humility. It is a terrible prospect to consider the type of painful circumstances it could take for us (and all of you would feel that pain as well) to come to God in a posture of weakness.

But there is another way. Before God resorts to intensely painful circumstances to purify us, he first tries to speak through people. I believe the mercy of God can come through the worldwide body of Christ speaking the truth in love to us about who we are. This is your hour. So please, meet us in our need by speaking to us in the strength of your walk and your witness for Christ.

We are at a crossroads today as American Evangelicals. I believe you have the ability to bring the words of life we need to hear in this time of reevaluation and repentance. Will you step up and help us discover anew the heart of God for our country and the world?

Tony Stoltzfus
Virginia Beach, VA. USA
Tony@Coach22.com