There is but a modest amount of information stored in my
memory of the history of the Church in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
since Christ. In the twenty first
century in the United States, there is a theological divide with political
consequences that borders on outright violence.
This in some way mirrors the conditions of the Church in the throes of
the Reformation.
I am unwilling to do the proper research to make this a
scholarly accurate thesis. Rather my
purpose is to highlight a current dynamic in order to engender hope for today
and for the future.
The break from Rome to form new models for Church without
papacy led to a divide in ecclesiology, namely the theology of what is and who
is the Church. There existed fundamental
differences regarding authority, power and empire. Although there were many “sides”, let us
agree for arguments sake, that there was a generally understood divide
characterized by the words Catholic and Protestant.
The notion of Anti-Christ arose in this context. It was the most extreme way to claim
authority to remove validity from those with whom they had experiences
schism. Although they may all have
agreed to the orthodox teachings of the Nicene Creed, they remained out of
fellowship with one another, manifested primarily in the halls of power in
Europe.
Trump? I use this
word to convey a political and theological movement going on right now. Let’s call them the Protestants. Those in another, characterized perhaps by
the word Bernie, let’s call Catholics.
Vote Your Values is being used by Protestants to advance the
cause in the political arena. Catholics
are waiting to find expression in the same venue, through the coming elections.
Those Protestant and Catholic movements of old said one
thing clearly about the other. “THAT IS
NOT THE CHURCH. THIS IS THE CHURCH.”
Today’s version seems quite parallel. Archbishops and others were executed. The monarch determined the course of the
nation. The opposition stood
steadfast. We have not yet shed blood
over this. But the political games are
every bit as high stakes then as now.
And people of faith went to the gallows for their faith.
We contemporary Christians have not been asked yet to bear
the full weight of implications for standing firm. We have risked much with God and less so with
daily life and work. More may be asked
of us.
Consider the legacy we received from those five hundred
years before us. It may be that we have
a time and circumstance that has not been seen in a long time. Their salvation came through middle ground
and compromise, long crafted. What will
history record of our lives of faith?
The strongest evidence may be found in the political arena, then as now.
