This past week during the Republican infighting on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a photo appeared of Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins on his knees in prayer with two other southern Congressmen holding his hands with a Bible. This public display may have made for good publicity with his conservative base back home but one must wonder what the point was.
Another photo of praying Representatives again shows a disconnect between how faith or its absence and the older white men on their knees. A rising number of Americans identify themselves as “nones,” or people without any religious affiliation, and some writers suggest that the current admixture of religion and politics may be responsible.
Fear is a great driver in any society and white Christian nationalists are only stoking up more division and polarization in America. This is not healthy for democracy or for any religion. There are many good reasons why we have separation of church and state, and the current infusion of Christian nationalism is but one example.
Prayer for the Day
Disturbed by deepening polarization, we come to you, O God,
Looking for ways to build community, not destroy it;
Concerned by the lack of common understanding of our heritage,
We look for ways to build trust within our disparate Nation.
We pray for wisdom to build common ground again,
And to move beyond the fears that seem to overtake us.
In the name of the One who reached out to all,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Any fair analysis of religion and politics must take into account all the Christian dissenters to the sort of hyper-radicalized white Christian nationalism that has overtaken both evangelical churches and American politics.
- Diana Butler Bass, historian
Too often we see the Bible through whatever lens we get fro our culture.
- Brian McLaren, religious writer
But when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand ad pray in the synagogues and at the street corners so they will be seen by others. Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, gointo your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret…
Matthew 6: 5-6