Epic Guide

There is no such thing as a “Christian Nation.” True Christianity can’t be delegated from a body of government. It is an internal transformation of the spirit. A government could be founded on “Christian” values but that is up for interpretation. Is justice a Christian value, or is forgiveness? And which would the government appeal to? The politics of Jesus looked very different than that of the Moral Majority, or liberal Christian ethics.

“The kingdom (empire) of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree…” – Matt 13:31-32

The word “kingdom” in Greek can also be translated as “empire”. With that in mind, this parable can be seen as a comparison between Christianity and the Roman Empire which had imperialized Jesus’ people (the Jews). In this parable, Jesus is the mustard seed. His message of love and humility spreads, and pretty soon it (Christianity) is the most powerful “empire” – not the Roman Empire. We have no records of Jesus disobeying Roman law, nor did he ever try to change the laws of the land, or do away with a corrupt system of taxation. Jesus changed people, not laws. It’s the ultimate in grass roots politics. Christianity is not liberal or conservative, it’s personal.