As an American citizen, and as a social studies teacher I pay very close attention to politics, because I believe very strongly that it is a part of my duty as a citizen and a christian to do so. Having taught history for nearly 20 years I am very aware of the trends in this nation’s history and I am very aware that the division we are perceiving  now has always been there, right from the beginning. The reason we think it wasn’t is because history has traditionally been written and presented in a way that glosses over the truth and highlights the positive. The only time negative things or the role of the minority were traditionally brought up in history was when they were something that needed to be and were defeated. Here’s the thing, in all cases what has been perceived as negative or a minority has had people on both sides of the argument fighting for what they believe to be the correct interpretation of the situation.

In the 1930’s, a very large number of Americans felt very strongly that the United States needed to stay out of European concerns, in most cases it was because they didn’t want to send another generation across the Atlantic to die in a trench, in some cases it was because they believed we simply have no business meddling in Europe or Asia, and in a small number of cases it was because they thought the Nazis were right. There were violent clashes over these issues, as well as riots caused by labor unrest, racial tension, and immigration; but what do we hear about the 1930’s? We hear that the New Deal saved America and that Americans, though reluctant to get into a war, kicked butt after they were attacked at Pearl Harbor.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul is clear that the struggle of the faithful is not with blood and flesh, meaning humanity itself, but against the rulers and the authorities, by which I believe he means the ideas and beleifs we cling to, the things that are used to structure our society and define who is allowed to participate. In the first century there were many conflicting ideas about God and humanities’ relationship to them and the same is true today. Much of the content of Paul’s many letters is a reminder to readers to hold fast to the teachings of Christ Jesus, to not be fooled or derailed by nay-sayers, what-ifers, and people who distort Christ’s message for their own purpose. These are the rulers, the authorities, and the cosmic powers that Paul speaks of. It is not specific people he is warning about but the self promoting ideas that they voice, for nothing from God is about aggrandizement and self-promotion. To combat these forces, Paul recommends that we “take up the whole armor of God” by which he means the teachings of Jesus. 

In John’s gospel we have come to the end of the body and blood narrative, Jesus once again says that “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” but what does that even mean? Truly he is saying the exact thing that Paul is trying to get us to understand, that through his teachings we will find life, but to do so we must accept God into our lives, internalize the teachings of Christ, and accept them as the truth, not a truth, not a truth that we drag out when we need it, like our suitcase or Christmas decorations; but a truth that is so profound, so meaningful, so correct that it drives every decision we make, at which point we will have fully donned the armor of God.

For centuries christians have practiced slavery of some kind, created laws that subjugate women and children to men, and established social structures designed to concentrate power in the hands of specific people. In all of these cases a justification has been made by using the words of scripture, but in all of these cases the words chosen have been removed from their context and the teachings of Jesus have been left out of the picture altogether. In many cases the religious connection came well after the deeds were done, and only after someone asked if what was being done was okay in the eyes of God, which is a clear sign that Jesus was not at the heart of the decision making process. This is similar to the historical narratives we have traditionally heard. A certain value is attached to an event and then a narrative is written to ensure that the desired value is promoted, often at the cost of truth.

The curse of Cain has traditionally been used as a justification for slavery, in 19th century America it was believed that the mark of Cain was black skin, and often conflated with the curse of Ham, which was a curse on the descendents of Ham, son of Noah, to be the servants of others. These stories are of course very convenient, but have nothing to do with the teachings of Christ or even God. God did not curse Ham, his father cursed him because he broke the commandment to honor his father and mother by gossiping about his father’s naked body. In the case of Cain, it was God who punished him to forever need to wander the earth, instead of being a farmer; but God also marked him so that others would leave him alone, thus saving his life and redeeming him.

As Christians we have a duty to understand the true nature of the gospel, in the same way that as citizens we have a duty to understand the truth of our past as well as the present, because it is through our misunderstanding that we cause and perpetuate harm. If we arm ourselves with the truth then we will be able to withstand the evil that ensnares us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf; but only if we do the work that is necessary. Donning the armor of God requires regular engagement with scripture, regular prayer about how scripture applies to our lives, and most importantly an acknowledgement that if we are not seeking to apply what we learn to every aspect of our lives we are in fact not following Jesus. Seeking division at all costs, perpetuating myths and openly ignoring the truth of our past and the present is not rooted in the way of love, nor is it about God, it is about power, both personal and collective. Jesus stood up to power, Paul warned us about it, yet we collectively give into it or go along with it as if the truth doesn’t matter, but it does matter. The truth about our history matters, the truth about our society and culture matters, and the truth about God matters. So as we navigate the world, don’t forget your armor so you can speak truth in love and combat the spiritual forces of evil that continue to plague creation.