This is a reflection I wrote shortly after Easter about a t-shirt I made. Enjoy--it's actually fairly interesting.

To Whom Do You Claim Allegiance?

Awhile back I made a t-shirt online with a picture of President Bush in front of a stained-glass window on the front with text that says “This man is not my president OR PASTOR” On the back there is a picture of Rev. John H. Thomas, President and General Minister of the United Church of Christ. Above his picture there is text that says “This man is [my president and pastor].” Below the photo is a quote from Rev. Thomas: “God expects us to be ready, to be ready for doing justice in the midst of oppression, to be ready for peacemaking in the midst of dangerous conflict, to be ready for affirming life and resisting the culture of death.” I finally bought the shirt a week ago. Already I’ve received several comments for it.

I’m taking a masters-level course this semester that is discussing identity quite a bit. One of the theories we’ve surveyed is Judith Butler’s concept of performativity. Butler argues that through repetitive acts and ritual, we become our identities—gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, etc. There is a defined social construct that we perform our identities within, and face consequences if we subvert the norms of the culture’s view of that identity. So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about identity, and how I act out various parts of it.

My t-shirt is most likely initially viewed as a performance of politics. Certainly I am playing out my politics with it. From my perspective it says, “I do not accept the authority of President Bush.” But more so I see it as a theological performance. On the front of the shirt the words “this man is not my president” are not capitalized, but the words “OR MY PASTOR” are. This indicates that the theological statement is more important. More important than not simply accepting President Bush’s political authority, I do not accept his theology. I do not accept the President of the United States’ bad theology of the orphaned, widowed, and alien pulling themselves up by their bootstraps while he pulls all of their support from under them. I do not accept his authority or theology. However I do accept John Thomas as my president. I am nourished by his words of comfort and challenge. I find his vision of opposition to oppression and violence much closer to Jesus’ vision for his people.

But this is more than politics, theology, and authority. No, it is about whom one puts their greatest trust in. Does one claim one’s deepest loyalty to a sovereign nation or to the Sovereign Lord and the Church Universal? Does one pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America or to God? In a world of relativism it is easy to say, “Well, both of course.” I would argue against that. Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters, that we cannot serve both God and worldly idols, like money, beauty, success, acclaim, and yes, nation. Quakers and other religious groups have consistently refused to say the pledge of allegiance to the American flag, because their sole allegiance is to God. I think that is something to aspire to—to be able to truthfully claim that one only has allegiance to God.

Last Sunday many preachers undoubtedly told the story of two different parades entering Jerusalem. One came with military might, armor, and weaponry, with pomp and probably a great deal of circumstance as well. The other was a ragtag team of former tax collectors, fishermen, harlots, convicts, lepers, and their leader riding on a donkey. The way of the Crucified Christ was not the way of the imperial power. It is thought that the Jews expected their Messiah to come militantly and overthrow that other parade, the rule of the Romans. But he didn’t, God came into the world as a peasant who led and transformed the lives of those the religious leaders of the day refused to associate with.

Rev. Thomas’ words outline a vision alternative to the prevalent vision of many of our politicians in Washington. He reminds us that “liberty and justice for all” should not merely be an empty promise, but one that people of faith must work toward. He reminds us that in a culture obsessed with violence and self-interest, that we affirm the lives of all God’s children. John Thomas once asked, “Do we love Jesus more than the lure of respectability?” I, like many others, struggle with that question. How much am I willing to risk for the sake of the gospel. Am I willing to take an unpopular stance that may lose my privilege? Am I willing to not just “stand up” for peace and justice in the face of warring madness, but to act for peace and justice? How great of a sacrifice will each of us make? No matter how great the sacrifice, God does expect us as followers of The Way to be ready. The world draws us in so many directions, and we are defined by many different things. But what would it mean for us to join our Reformed brothers and sisters in answering the question of the Heidelberg Catechism, “What is your only comfort, in life and in death?” that we indeed “belong—body and soul, in life and in death” not to ourselves “but to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ”? It is helpful to remember that in the life of the early church that the phrase “Jesus is Lord” was a radical one. It meant that Rome was not the sovereign power over these early Christians, but that Jesus Christ was their sole authority. We can render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, however if we are to be true to the one we follow, we must not allow Caesar’s realm guide our vision, but the Realm of God. Again Rev. Thomas provides an alternative vision, asking “Could we raise the cup of wine and remember that our comfort and security comes from the vulnerability of the cross rather than the destructive power of violence?” This Eastertide, may we reflect, discern, and act on that vulnerability, our allegiance to the true Sovereign.