This essay was tailored from a speech delivered at the 2022 Nationwide Conservatism Convention.

G.Ok. Chesterton as soon as mentioned that “We will quickly be in a world by which a person could also be howled down for saying that two and two make 4, by which individuals will persecute the heresy of calling a triangle a three-sided determine, and cling a person for maddening a mob with the information that grass is inexperienced.”

That world has come to move, caused by postmodernism and the woke thoughts virus (to which Christians will not be immune). On this world, frequent sense can sound loopy; given this, frequent sense usually wants a protection.

So, what is that this maddening information? This forgotten frequent sense? It’s that American Christians ought to wholeheartedly help an America First authorities. The truth is, Christians shouldn’t simply help it, they need to demand it.

Many different nice males in historical past have shared these sentiments about their very own nation. The English Baptist pastor and theologian Andrew Fuller, whom Charles Spurgeon mentioned was the “best theologian of his century,” as soon as delivered a whole sermon defending the love of his nation and a priority for its future. The sermon, entitled “Christian Patriotism,” was delivered in 1803, because the British feared an imminent invasion from Napoleon. 

Fuller preached his sermon from the textual content of Jeremiah 29:7, the place the Lord instructions the Israelite exiles in Babylon to “search the peace and prosperity of the town to which I’ve carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, as a result of if it prospers, you too will prosper.” As he thought-about the connection between his British congregation going through an invasion and the Israelites in Babylonian captivity, he mentioned:

I don’t suppose that the case of those individuals corresponds precisely with ours; however the distinction is of such a nature as to intensify our obligations. They had been in a overseas land; a land the place there was nothing to excite their attachment, however every thing to impress their dislike.

Now if such was the obligation of males of their circumstances, can there be any doubt with respect to ours? Ought we to not search the great of our fatherland; the land of our fathers’ graves; a land the place we’re protected by gentle and healthful legal guidelines, administered beneath a paternal prince; a land the place civil and non secular freedom are loved in the next diploma than in another nation in Europe; a land the place God has been identified for a lot of centuries as a refuge; a land, in high-quality, the place there are better alternatives for propagating the gospel, each at dwelling and overseas, than in another nation beneath heaven?

What’s the reply? Clearly, it’s “sure.” Fuller rallied his fellow countrymen—his Christian compatriots—to be prepared and able to take up arms to combat the French (and he didn’t imply David).

Distinction Fuller’s admonition with Christian pastors and evangelical “leaders” at this time. Not too way back, a distinguished Presbyterian pastor, Scott Sauls, mentioned, “worldly energy is after all anathema.” Southern Baptists have been repeatedly harangued by the likes of males akin to Russell Moore, arguing it is higher when Christians (or a minimum of Baptists) don’t have energy. He argued that “Baptists—whether or not globally or domestically—at all times are usually at their worst when accountable for some earthly energy and at all times at their finest when talking from the margins.” Moore would reasonably that we content material ourselves to having a “prophetic witness”—that’s, standing exterior the halls of energy and shouting some true issues, hoping it pricks the conscience of the worldwide elites operating this nation into the bottom, however by no means rolling up our sleeves and attending to work.

That is the Christian equal of America Final. We shouldn’t purchase a lot as a pencil out of that cup. What ought to we do as a substitute? How can we defend America First governance from a theological basis? Listed below are two details to that finish.

First, we reject nationwide gnosticism. Second, we embrace the ordo amoris—rightly ordered love. These two pillars present the theological, philosophical, and ethical basis for demanding that the American authorities places America first with the intention to guarantee our safety and prosperity, defend our sovereignty, advance the frequent good, and assist our nation flourish—all in order that our kids might need a brilliant future on this nation.

There’s an historic heresy presently preying upon many fashionable Christians. It’s dragging many all the way down to the underworld, and few return to the sunlit lands. What is that this insidious ideology? Gnosticism.

Gnosticism is likely one of the oldest Christian heresies. Rising within the first century, gnostics taught a radical duality between the non secular and bodily world. They believed {that a} decrease, malevolent deity created the bodily world—not the great, Creator God. For gnostics, salvation from the fallen bodily world got here by way of buying a secret information that set them free.

One can see why this explicit heresy would impression a Christian’s view of our nation, our bodily homeland. Salvation from sin and the hope of heaven are, at current, immaterial realities in lots of respects. Christians are frequently reminded that we’re pilgrims, strangers, and aliens on this life.

Sure, creation is certainly corrupted by sin, and we lengthy for a greater future. However that doesn’t imply this world, and our authorities, doesn’t matter. But far too many Christians act like that is what they consider in terms of nation-states and authorities.

Fuller took this objection head-on in his sermon talked about above, saying:

Although, as Christians, we’re not of the world, and ought to not be conformed to it; but, being in it, we’re beneath varied obligations to these about us. As husbands, wives, mother and father, kids, masters, servants, and many others., we can’t be insensible that others have a declare upon us, in addition to we upon them; and it’s the identical as members of a neighborhood united beneath one civil authorities.

Christians at this time have to reject the notion that simply because we’ve got a non secular religion and are certain for the Celestial Metropolis, it doesn’t matter what occurs in our bodily lives and in our hometowns at this time.

In Acts 17, we learn that “[God] will not be served by human arms, as if he wanted something. Quite, he himself offers everybody life and breath and every thing else. From one man he made all of the nations, that they need to inhabit the entire earth; and he marked out their appointed occasions in historical past and the boundaries of their lands.”

What does this verse train us? It teaches us that Christians in America shouldn’t be nationwide gnostics as a result of God will not be a nationwide gnostic. God made the nations! He “marked the boundaries” of their land.

Borders are a superb factor, and God has given them to humanity. Inside these borders, we discover the rooted nature of neighborhood, identification, and residential. As Chesterton says, “a person’s causes for not wanting his nation to be dominated by foreigners are very like his causes for not wanting his home to be burned down; as a result of he couldn’t even start to enumerate all of the issues he would miss.”

In opposition to nationwide gnosticism stands the rules being put ahead right here—rules of nationalism. Whereas it could have fallen on arduous occasions in our fashionable discourse because of the foolishness of the postwar consensus, the truth is that nationalism as a political system is pure. It’s natural, humble, and worthwhile for all nations within the developed world.

Free individuals rightly demand to be represented domestically and nationally by an accountable governing physique that displays their distinctive heritage, historical past, cultural make-up, traditions, beliefs, and language. Christians ought to be greater than prepared to embrace this political ideology as a correct outworking of the embodied and bodily order we inhabit. God is the God of the non secular and the bodily. However to reject nationalism is to in the end embrace political and nationwide gnosticism.

C.S. Lewis argues in his 4 Loves that “those that don’t love the fellow-villagers or fellow-townsmen whom they’ve seen will not be prone to have gotten very far in direction of loving ‘Man’ whom they haven’t. All pure affections, together with this, can turn into rivals to non secular love: however they may also be preparatory imitations of it, coaching (so to talk) of the non secular muscle tissue which Grace might later put to the next service.” In different phrases, the best way we present we really love “humanity” usually is by demonstrating a prioritized love for the individuals and place we presently occupy in the actual world.

Aquinas agrees. In his Commentary on Galatians, he writes: “It’s not essential that we love all equally as a result of for the reason that depth of an act outcomes from the precept of the motion, and the precept of the motion is union and similarity, we ought to like in the next diploma and extra intensely those that are extra like us and extra carefully united to us.”

Usually in response to a protection of nationalism, Christians will deliver up the parable of the Good Samaritan. This backfires on them. The Good Samaritan was good as a result of he beloved and cared for the harm particular person proper there in entrance of him. The Pharisees who crossed to the opposite facet are way more consultant of our present leaders, who would stroll over to the opposite facet of the open border, leaving our nation harm and wounded, all whereas on their approach to ship one other hundred billion {dollars} to Ukraine.

Do you wish to be a Good Samaritan? It is best to love the hurting particular person proper in entrance of you. It is best to love your nation and deal with it prefer it issues.

Rejecting nationwide gnosticism is a robust begin. However don’t simply curse the darkness; gentle a candle as nicely.

To assemble a optimistic imaginative and prescient, we will study from what Augustine referred to as the ordo amoris, a “proper ordering of affection.” This begins by placing God above all else. He’s our final precedence. We repair our full affections, our coronary heart, soul, thoughts, and energy, on Him and provides Him our final full measure of devotion and discipleship.

If we’re to order our lives rightly, we start with God after which love every thing else in its correct relation and in response to how God has commanded us. Every thing, nonetheless, actually contains our nation.

When you ever cross-examine a Christian who disagrees in regards to the biblical crucial to demand that our authorities put our nation first, you can begin by asking a couple of questions. “Do you like your loved ones?” If they are saying no, you’re in bother. A special dialog is about available. But when they are saying “sure,” as nearly all do, ask a couple of extra. “Do you not love your loved ones greater than you like a stranger? Do you not owe sure obligations to your loved ones that you just don’t owe to others? Do you lock your doorways once you fall asleep at night time?”

If that’s the case, congratulations, they’re a nationalist! All of those actions reveal an ordering of affection and affection each pure and hierarchical. If you’re a mum or dad, and your kids noticed you caring for different kids at their very own expense, would they not have a proper to be indignant? Ought to they not demand that you just cease expending time, cash, affection, and sources meant for them on different households?

It actually is that this primary: When you love your loved ones—as God has referred to as you to—and you like your neighbor—which God has commanded you to—it is best to love your nation—which God has positioned you in.

Placing your nation and your neighbor residents first is a pure outworking of the command to “Honor your father and mom,” present in Exodus 20. And God offers a motive: “So that you could be dwell lengthy within the land the LORD your God is providing you with.”

The Apostle Paul picks this up in his Epistle to the Ephesians, writing, “Honor your father and mom”—the primary commandment with a promise— “in order that it could go nicely with you and that you could be take pleasure in lengthy life on the earth.”

Moreover, 1 Timothy 5 says, “But when anybody doesn’t present for his kinfolk, and particularly for members of his family, he has denied the religion and is worse than an unbeliever.” There it’s, proper from the pages of Scripture—the command to order our loves rightly.

Lewis, once more, supplies useful readability right here. He writes: “Everyone knows ‘this love’ (that’s, the love of nation) turns into a demon when it turns into a god. However some start to suspect that it’s by no means something however a demon. Then they should reject half the excessive poetry and half the heroic motion our race has achieved. We can’t hold even Christ’s lament over Jerusalem. He too reveals love for His nation.”

That is the place incorporating the Augustinian framework of ordered loves is essential in making the Christian case for America First. For Christians to embrace this in america in such a approach as to not idolize the nation nor vitiate the Gospel, they have to preserve an eternally increased dedication to the Kingdom of God.

In The Metropolis of God, Augustine explains how Christians ought to love issues of their correct order. And he does this whereas reflecting on “magnificence” particularly. He writes:

And thus magnificence, which is certainly God’s handiwork, however solely a temporal, carnal, and decrease sort of good, will not be fitly beloved in place of God, the everlasting, non secular, and unchangeable good…For although it’s good, it could be beloved with an evil in addition to with a superb love: it’s beloved rightly when it’s beloved ordinately; evilly, when inordinately…But when the Creator is really beloved, that’s, if He Himself is beloved and never one other factor in His stead, He can’t be evilly beloved; for love itself is to be ordinately beloved, as a result of we do nicely to like that which, once we find it irresistible, makes us dwell nicely and virtuously. In order that it appears to me that it’s a transient however true definition of advantage to say, it’s the order of affection.

What Augustine means right here is that advantage will not be merely loving the proper objects however loving them in the proper order. This is applicable whether or not the merchandise in query is magnificence, meals, books, or a nation. It is a crucial rubric, then, for Christians to use to America First.

We put our nation first over different nations as a result of that’s the proper order by which to like our fellow residents. However we don’t put our nation first over God, household, or the reality. Honoring our nation over different nations usually contains paying explicit consideration to our collective ethical shortcomings, working to appropriate them, and calling our nation to repentance when want be.

That is the ordo amoris. And this “conscience examine” is required as a result of there are some actual temptations for “Christian nationalists,” are there not? There actually have been actual temptations for a lot of political actions that sought to place their nation first, comparatively talking, prior to now. The well-known pastor Douglas Wilson places it like this:

Suppose a person goes to the Hallmark retailer to purchase his mother a Mom’s Day card. Whereas searching in that aisle, he notices one other man deciding on a card that (impudently) says, “To the Finest Mom within the World.” Does he have the proper to knock the cardboard out of the opposite man’s hand and begin a fistfight with him there within the retailer as a result of that twerp falsely claimed that his mom was the very best one on this planet? This isn’t a trick query. No, that will not occur. A person who honors his mom rightly is aware of precisely why one other man would honor his mom, regardless that—and comply with me carefully right here—she is a special mom. A sane patriot who loves his nation understands higher than anybody else why one other sane patriot might love a very totally different nation. And a jingoist is the man who begins fights in Hallmark shops.

It is a essential warning from Wilson. Christians ought to acknowledge that different nations ought to love their nation greater than they love ours—and that is a superb factor. Nationalism celebrates international variety.

The purpose right here is that America First will not be essentially, or at all times, America Finest, America Solely, or America Eternally. As an alternative, it’s the proper posture for us as American Christians now; it’s the proper ordering of our affections. 

Herein lies the crux of this case and the query at hand—how does a Christian defend America First however be certain that he doesn’t have, as Augustine additionally put it, a “better love for what’s to be beloved much less?” Firstly, by loving God with all of 1’s coronary heart, soul, thoughts, and energy (Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22).

In A Patriotism for Right this moment: Dialogue with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Keith Clements writes that “a Christian perspective, then, will qualify the best of nationwide loyalty at this time. However to qualify is to not abolish. As a result of the nation is considered a provisional construction, it’s not thereby to be discarded. There’s loyalty and love correct to it, exactly due to its provisionality.” By avoiding the pitfall of America Eternally, Christians can embrace the provisionality of America First.

Nationalism shouldn’t be eschewed as a result of the cosmopolitan elites desire globalism. As an alternative, as Yoram Hazony argues, nationalism is the very best and most biblical approach to guard nationwide self-determination, defend human rights, and guarantee nationwide flourishing over and in opposition to international rivals, be they imperialism, the Chinese language Communist Get together, or a resurgent Islam.

Christians ought to unapologetically need for the Christian heritage of our nation to endure and even be rekindled for the long run. Additional, Christians ought to fortunately play a job in weaving Christian rules into the material of our society by supporting insurance policies that put our nationwide well-being first, and by loving the actual, embodied, bodily neighbor subsequent door greater than the imagined international citizen.

Take into account the phrases of Cecil Spring Rice, a British diplomat and ambassador to the U.S. throughout World Battle I. He penned a poem about love for nation and for Christ entitled “Urbs Dei,” which was later put to music as “I Vow to Thee My Nation.”

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The poem charts a path for us to comply with at this time. It’s a stunning and haunting name, a problem, and a query we should reply. How can we concurrently love our earthly nation and but lengthy for an everlasting, increased, heavenly dwelling? Like so:

I vow to thee, my nation, all earthly issues above,
Whole and complete and excellent, the service of my love;
The love that asks no questions, the love that stands the take a look at,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the very best;
The love that by no means falters, the love that pays the value,
The love that makes undaunted the ultimate sacrifice.

And there is one other nation, I've heard of way back,
Most expensive to them that love her, most nice to them that know;
We might not depend her armies, we might not see her King;
Her fortress is a trustworthy coronary heart, her pleasure is struggling;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds enhance,
And her methods are methods of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

That’s the nation we’re headed to, lastly and eternally. However till we attain these Golden Shores, that is the nation—America—that American Christians demand our authorities places first. Something much less is an abandonment of our American heritage and Christian obligation.

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