{"id":5946,"date":"2024-07-03T03:19:59","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T11:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/?p=5946"},"modified":"2024-06-19T16:37:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T00:37:50","slug":"if-my-people-called-by-my-name-doesnt-apply-to-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/breathingspace\/2024\/07\/if-my-people-called-by-my-name-doesnt-apply-to-america\/","title":{"rendered":"“If My People, Called by My Name” Doesn’t Apply to America"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
On the Fourth of July, Americans hear \u201cIf my people, called by my name\u201d taken out of context. But it doesn\u2019t mean what you think it means.<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/a>
Harley Pebley, CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n**
**
**\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Many Americans are celebrating Independence Day in a Christian context.<\/strong> This could mean that the Sunday prior to the holiday, your church\u2019s worship service was a patriotic gala<\/span><\/a>. Or it might mean a civic celebration \u201cblessed\u201d to have a minister give an invocation. 2 Chronicles 7:14<\/a><\/span> is almost ubiquitous at these events. Not to disappoint, I\u2019ll quote it here. But it doesn\u2019t mean what you think it means.<\/p>\n
"
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
On patriotic holidays, we love to hear this verse. Let me tell you why we\u2019re taking it out of context.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Context<\/h2>\n****
**
****The context is a celebration of the completion of King Solomon\u2019s palace and the Temple of God in Jerusalem.<\/strong> After Solomon sent the people home, God appeared to Solomon in a dream. God promised that if the people abandoned their devotion and reaped judgment on themselves, heaven would bless them once again if they would repent and return to God.<\/p>\n
A MAGA Interpretation<\/h2>\n*******
**
*******Many conservative Americans believe that the United States has been heading down the wrong path for a long time.<\/strong> This verse reminds them that it\u2019s not too late. They believe God may yet return divine blessing if Americans repent and turn to God. In their view, God will \u201cmake America great again,\u201d if Americans follow this simple four-step process:<\/p>\n
\nHumble themselves<\/li>\nPray<\/li>\nSeek God\u2019s face<\/li>\nTurn from their wicked ways<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n*******
**
When they do this, they believe God will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land. But this MAGA interpretation is out of context.<\/p>\n
**
\u00a0<\/p>\n
**
It Doesn\u2019t Apply to America<\/h2>\n
**
This interpretation is out of context because it doesn\u2019t apply to America<\/strong>. These are the words of the Hebrew God to a particular king of Israel at a specific point in time. It\u2019s a faulty hermeneutic to believe that all of the promises in the Bible apply to you, your nation, and your situation.<\/p>\n
**
I can\u2019t tell you the number of times I\u2019ve heard this verse quoted at civic events.<\/strong> Along with the reminder that if those heathen atheists would repent, things would change. Or if those ungodly people in San Francisco, Hollywood, or Washington would only return to God, then God would make America great again. But that\u2019s not what this verse says. This was an ancient Israel thing, not an America thing.<\/p>\n
**
\u00a0<\/p>\n
**
*******\u00a0<\/p>\n
If You Must Apply It to Somebody\u2026<\/h2>\n*********
**
Okay, I understand. It\u2019s important to you that all of the Bible applies to all of the people, all of the time.<\/strong> Let\u2019s grant that, for just a moment. What does this verse say again? \u201cIf my people who are called by my name.\u201d Who calls themselves by the name of a god? Not the Muslims\u2014they don\u2019t call themselves \u201cAllahists.\u201d Not the Buddhists\u2014they don\u2019t believe Buddha is a god. It isn\u2019t the Jews\u2014they aren\u2019t called Yahwists. Who calls themselves by the name of a deity? Oh yes, it\u2019s Christians or Christ-ones! We are the ones called by the name of God. I know it sounds like I\u2019m stretching this to the level of absurdity, given the fact that this scripture doesn\u2019t relate to today\u2019s context. But if Christians must apply it to somebody today\u2026they must apply it to themselves.<\/p>\n
**
*********\u00a0<\/p>\n
Religious People Must Repent<\/h2>\n*********
**
The finger-pointing must end when Evangelicals realize that it\u2019s not the \u201cungodly sinners\u201d who need to repent.<\/strong> It\u2019s the religious people who must humble themselves, pray, seek God\u2019s face, and turn. This is the message that Jesus spent so much time trying to convey. It\u2019s the message that got him killed\u2014that religious people need to repent.<\/p>\n
**
*********\u00a0<\/p>\n
Apply This Verse to Yourself<\/h2>\n*********
**
If you\u2019re a MAGA Christian who has puffed out their chest in pride upon hearing this verse read out of context at a church or civic event, then it\u2019s time you apply it to yourself. <\/strong>This means:<\/p>\n
**
*********\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nMAGA Christians must repent for pointing at the godless and ungodly, and blaming them for the nation\u2019s woes.<\/li>\nMAGA Christians must take responsibility for falling down on the job\u2014for becoming so distracted by power politics that they have failed to be the voice of Christ to hurting people.<\/li>\nMAGA Christians must repent of the discrimination and pain that they have caused immigrants, LGBTQIA+ folks, women, people of color, and people with disabilities, all while wearing the cross of Christ.<\/li>\nMAGA Christians must stop making Jesus the poster child for their own political plans and activist agendas.<\/li>\nMAGA Christians must stop relying on schools and other governmental institutions to teach their children their faith. Parents must remember that virtue is something they must demonstrate by their example, and not by legislation.<\/li>\nMAGA Christians must learn to follow the Golden Rule and treat others the way they would want to be treated\u2014in religious systems and political.<\/li>\nIf they really want to make America great again, MAGA Christians must return to the aid of the poor and afflicted, the outcast and forgotten.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n*********
**
*********\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll say once again that 2 Chronicles 7:14<\/a><\/span> has nothing to do with the United States of America.<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t mean what you think it means. But MAGA Christian, if you must make it relevant to the good old USA, then you\u2019ve got to apply it to Christianity, and to yourself.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
For related reading, check out my other articles:<\/h3>\n\nFrom Grief To Growth: Honoring Heroes On Memorial Day<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nShould I Attend See You At The Pole?<\/a><\/span><\/li>\nMacy\u2019s, Confederate Generals, And Stumbling Blocks<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"***********
**
***********On the Fourth of July, Americans hear \u201cIf my people, called by my name\u201d taken out of context. But it doesn\u2019t mean what you think it means. \u00a0 Many Americans are celebrating Independence Day in a Christian context. This could mean that the Sunday prior to the holiday, your church\u2019s worship service was a patriotic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4628,"featured_media":5949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,1302],"tags":[4095,4092,4089,4098],"class_list":["post-5946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-challenging-the-church","category-holidays-and-special-days","tag-2-chronicles-714","tag-humble-themselves-and-pray-and-seek-my-face","tag-if-my-people-who-are-called-by-my-name","tag-maga-christians"],"yoast_head":"\n"If My People, Called by My Name" Doesn't Apply to America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On the Fourth of July, Americans hear \u201cIf my people, called by my name\u201d taken out of context. 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