The Cross and the Flag

When I was in college my apartment had what I would call a "Gone in 60 seconds" look. Not because it was decorated with cars or posters from the movie, but because I could pack up and be gone in a moments notice. I had the essentials only; a couch, a TV, a bed, enough dishes for one meal, and most importantly, a PlayStation. There were no pictures, no decorations, no end tables, desks, ironing boards, etc. I had no need for these extras, none at all.If you come in my house now you will find a different scene; pictures abound, there are different types of rugs, end tables, and plants. We even have mirrors that aren't in the bathroom! (I wouldn't have paid two nickels for a mirror in college.) There is even a sitting room that few people ever sit in. I can't even lie, I looks great! It looks... homey and welcoming, almost like a place you wouldn't mind settling in for quite some time. Unlike college, the space I now reside is one I am happy to spend tons of time. But more than that, the arrangement of the house says something about its inhabitants; the same was true of my college apartments. The same is true, indeed, of every space that people inhabit.My college apartments presented a profile, if you will, of the person living there. An idea could be developed from seeing what was present, and what was absent. This is true in all of the places that we inhabit regularly. For good or ill, they become parrots that testify about who we are, and what we love.Our worship spaces tell the same story. This is why cathedrals were such beautiful spaces for worship and contemplation. From the iconography, to the stained glass, even the shape of the cathedral to the gargoyles watching from above, each item told a story of its inhabitants. And each worship space continues to tell a story of its inhabitants. Sometimes the story being told expresses the life of those who gather for worship, and other times it's inviting those who gather to enter more fully into the story.Below you will find a panoramic view of the sanctuary at Friendship UMC, the church I am currently serving. Notice what is central? It is the cross. The cross is more than a tool that was used to kill Jesus, but it is what we as Christians are called to bear in our daily lives. It is a sign of God's love to us, and a constant visual of what it means to be in this world as a Christian. In one image, we are reminded about everything that is encompassed in Christian life. There is love, grace, forgiveness, favor, mercy, justification, sanctification, redemption, etc...Beneath the cross is a table, but not just any table, it is the table from which Christ beckons every person to come and dine with him. This table links each of us together through Christ. It is a humbling and exalting table, for as we gather there we do not do so as those separated by worldly distinctions. No, at this table "there is no longer Jew, Greek, barbarian," even the Scythian's are welcomed, because those who gather around find that "Christ is all and in all." Oddly enough, it is Christ that calls us to this table, and it is also Christ who nourishes us at this table. For, "as often as we eat and drink," we do so in remembrance of him.Flanking the table is stained glass (it's hard to see) that tells at story, a God story. The stained glass begins with the Greek alpha symbol, and ends with the Greek omega symbol. This indicates to the person studying this space that God is the beginning and the end, and our cross-shaped stories are wrapped up in His larger story of redemption.Now, what has a flag, even old glory, to do with such a scene? It seems that every patriotic holiday in America some churches wrestle with how to honor the holiday in their worship services. One of the recommendations is to place the America flag somewhere prominent. I am a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. I fought and sacrificed much for this country. I am proud to live in America, and I give thanks to God for America. That being said, a symbol of America ought not be in this space. At best, its presence confuses the picture, as if the flag were photo-bombing the main scene.If you look closely at the panorama's you will see that we do have a flag, it's on the left side of the above picture, and the right side of the below picture. It is purposefully placed there so that it is peripheral. Anyone sitting in worship would have to turn aside to see it. Such it should be once one becomes a disciple of Jesus, there should be a turning aside from what one used to identify with, in order that one might turn to a new identity source. As the apostle Paul said, "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself" (Phil. 3:20-21, ESV). Therefore, what business do we have bringing a symbol of Americanism into the midst of our identity? One takes down the pictures of their old love when they get married. The symbol of the flag represents a thing beloved, it sends a message, a message that competes with that of the symbols of the cross and table. They are both proclaiming different visions of the good life, and will have none of this "I'll serve two masters" business. They demand that we choose.‭‭Think, for example, of how stark the table is in comparison to the flag. Are all invited to come and dine in equal measure under the flag? Indeed, have all ever been welcome at old glory's table? This is not an issue of how things used to be, the symbols of cross & table have always stood in opposition to the symbols of the American flag. The prosperity and history (at least the shiny parts) of our nation does not grant it a spot, as it were, in the central picture of our worship space. For even in our countries heyday the gospel being proclaimed was not good news to all, and all weren't even offered the flag's gospel. Therefore, it was, and is, opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a proclamation for the entire world.I don't mean to make it sound like America is a godless Gomorrah-like nation. As I mentioned above, I am proud to live in this country. I am simply writing this to state that there should be intentionality to what we put in our worship spaces, where we put them, and what we exclude from them.This article will make some angry. I hope it doesn't, it's not my intent. But if you are angry, inquire within; where is the anger coming from? Why does the exclusion of the flag get you fired up? I bet that such an inquiry will, like an apocalypse, reveal to you that the flag and all it represents, is asking for much more than a quiet place on the stage next to your religion; but it is, in fact, asking for your allegiance. Speaking of allegiance, have you ever noticed that we pledge allegiance to the flag. What on earth does that mean? Well, it obviously means that we pledge ourselves to what the flag represents. It is a creed, if you will, a way that we are committed to. I hope this doesn't make you mad either, but it's sound should never be heard on the lips of Christians. Why would the same lips that say, "I believe in God, the Father almighty... I believe in Jesus Christ... I believe in the Holy Spirit...", also pledge themselves to the American creed, or any other, for that matter?In his article titled, Loyalty Oath: A Matter of Ultimate Allegiance, D. Brent Laytham recalls a time when he was being interviewed by the Department of Defense. The interview was to see whether or not the Air Force would accept one of his former students into their fighter pilot program. One of the questions asked was, "Is he a loyal American?" A loyal American; what does it even mean to be a loyal American? In one regard, every law-abiding citizen can be considered loyal if they do not disturb the peace. So Laytham's answer to the interviewer was, of course, "Yes." But upon reflecting on how he would answer the question if it were about himself, he writes, "A loyal American? Of course not. I’m a Christian!"In his room, the cross, and the table, are what define him. They have his allegiance, everything else is peripheral. As the song says,

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,I've lost sight of all beside,So enchained my spirit's vision,Looking at the crucified.

Our spaces should be set up to intentionally tell a story of who we are, and remind us of who we are. Therefore, let us be as those early Christians described in the Epistle to Diognetus. Of them it is said,

"They live in their own countries, but only as nonresidents; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign."

Our citizenship is in heaven. Let our rooms of worship reflect that.