Losing "life as we know it"

When I was in elementary school, the Cold War showed no signs of letting up. The designated bomb shelter was the janitor's office/storage room off of the loading dock. I have no idea how the teachers, kids, and support staff would have fit, which is probably why the student handbook also advised us to hide under our desks. Yeah, right.

We had family friends who were members of the John Birch Society. They tried to get my dad to join thinking that as a Chinese immigrant he would hate the Communists too. He refused, but they still gave him literature detailing the latest conspiracy theory in which powerful Americans were allied with the USSR to take away "life as we know it."

During a crisis like this, "it is a natural human reaction to turn to the past for support."¹ Appeals are made "to recover the Christian roots, the Christian heritage, the Christian values of an older America. Our instinctive reaction is to recover what we have lost."² This implies that if we could return to those roots, then God will bless us, and we will be safe again. I saw this as a child, and I think we are seeing this again today.

The threat of the USSR may not be fueling this fire, but we seem to be rising to new heights of polarization. The fear of losing "life as we know it" is just as powerful today as it was in the late 60's. It continues to play on the fear of losing our rights because as good Americans, we were raised in an environment where right is king. But this raises another question - what is "life as we know it?" Who defines it? Are the Christian roots of this country real or only a myth?

The dream team of Christian historians - Mark Noll, Nathan Hatch, and George Marsden addressed these questions in their book The Search for Christian America. It's not a new book, but history repeats itself. This is their argument:

"1) We feel that a careful study of the facts of history shows that early America does not deserve to be considered uniquely, distinctly, or even predominantly Christian, if we mean by the word "Christian" a state of society reflecting the ideals presented in Scripture. There is no lost golden age to which American Christians may return. In addition , a careful study of history will also show that evangelicals themselves were often partly to blame for the spread of the secularism in contemporary American life.
2) We feel also that careful examination of Christian teaching on government, the state, and the very nature of culture shows that the idea of a "Christian nation" is a very ambiguous concept which is usually harmful to effective Christian action in society."³

In reading their book, I'm pretty sure they will be preaching to the choir. But it is still important to examine their evidence because the lines often get blurred between an earthly country and the kingdom of God. Even though I am rather a-political, I can find myself looking for security in who wields power down here rather than in the fact that God has never abdicated His throne. He is also not beholden to any nation He has raised up or brought down. The ground of my hope and ultimate allegiance will determine the degree to which current events can shake me. This perspective will also determine how well I move forward in loving God and neighbor now.

1. The Search for Christian America, Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch, George M. Marsden, Crossway Books, 1983, pg. 13.
2. Ibid, pg. 15.
3. Ibid. pg. 17.