The President’s Visit to St.John’s
We are grieved by much happening in our country and throughout the world. A pandemic that still blows a sweeping sickness across the globe has already taken over 350,000 souls. While the continued disregard and murder of black men and women by those in power have led many to peaceful protest, some have opportunistically turned to wreaking a fresh havoc on our city’s businesses and neighborhoods. It’s with this weariness we faced a new week, as a human race but also as the Church. Though caring for the sick as well as the advocacy for God’s image-bearers are central to our gospel task, the Church has not been the direct target of our current tragedies. That changed on Monday.
Just before Washington D.C.'s 7 pm curfew, President Trump advised local police and military to pave a way through Lafayette Square. Peaceful protesters were forcibly moved so that the president could take a picture with a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Power was exacted upon the peaceful so a photograph could be taken. We can only guess in matters of the heart, but the fruit of the moment makes plain that a picture of righteousness was achieved through unrighteousness.
We are all guilty of this. And so we are grieved by the reminder of our collective sin. Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Whenever we post a picture of a cup of coffee with a perfectly curated stack of books, complete with biblical caption, we run the risk of disobeying Jesus’ words. Not only so, but because of our sin there is a daily impulse to demonstrate our value and righteousness to others while neglecting to believe that our Father who sees in secret will reward us (v.6). As a people we regularly fail to trust that righteousness is the invisible prize received only by grace in Christ.
Our urgent concern as an elder team and as a church family is that what took place in D.C. on Monday evening went well beyond these collective iniquities, in two ways. Firstly, strength is not the pathway to righteousness. In using force to make way for this moment, President Trump revealed a willingness and belief that righteousness is found in earthly powers. Scripture teaches us the very opposite. Paul tells the church in Corinth that spiritual strength is found in weakness. He writes, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). To this end the most supreme and glorious power of the universe, Jesus Christ himself, came in human frailty and died in humble substitution. That’s precisely why Paul said, the gospel “is the power of God” (Romans 1:16). That’s true righteousness. And it is extended to us by grace and love, not force.
Secondly, God’s Word and the Church are not marketing tools. On Monday a Bible was asked to do the bidding of a president’s public relations agenda. But the Word of God is the living and active revelation of God himself, “it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteous, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That means the Word of God does not submit to our will, rather we submit to the Word. Similarly, though the Church is not a building such an edifice is a physical illustration of the Body of Christ. The Church is composed of “saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-20). The Church is not an idea on which we elevate our purposes, but rather the Church is a people built upon the Lordship of Jesus.
We see these as grievous violations against the Church and God himself. The good news is that there is forgiveness for any and all violations. Therefore in our own sin we confess and ask for forgiveness, that the Heavenly Father would give us a righteous view of power, his Word, and the people for whom his Son died. Yet as the people of God we speak and condemn any manipulation, maltreatment, or misrepresentation of the gospel by anyone, in any position.
Our fear is that some of you, our church family, may think addressing the actions of a president is out of step with our charter as the Church. For clarity, our aim is neither to suggest a political preference nor condemn a particular administration. We do not speak with a spirit of condemnation but out of conviction for the truth and beauty of our Lord. We are speaking as kingdom people for the sake of the name of Jesus. We do not speak because Jesus needs us to defend him. We speak because Jesus is precious to us and so is his Church.
- The Elders of Church in the Square
