As usual, the semester started with me helping to introduce <\/span>Christianity and Western Culture <\/span><\/i>(CWC), Bethel University<\/a>\u2018s venerable team-taught, multi-disciplinary, first-year, general education course. But I\u2019m usually in a lecture hall, not a socially distanced multi-purpose space with a disco ball hanging overhead.<\/span><\/p>\n Awkward as I felt standing on that stage, muscle memory kicked in as I opened with a devotional reflection on what\u2019s long been our theme scripture in CWC:<\/span><\/p>\n Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Heb 12:1-2, NIV)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I\u2019ve talked about these words dozens of times now in this class. The author\u2019s allusion to \u201ca great cloud of witnesses\u201d is an ideal fit with a course that seeks to introduce young Christians to sisters and brothers in Christ from centuries past.<\/span><\/p>\n But in a course that\u2019s also meant to help students understand the connections between past and present, this time it felt like I needed to head in a slightly different direction and acknowledge that Hebrews 12 has been in the news, thanks to <\/span>this portion<\/span><\/a> of Vice President Mike Pence\u2019s address last Wednesday at the Republican National Convention:<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s run the race marked out for us. Let\u2019s fix our eyes on Old Glory and all she represents. Let\u2019s fix our eyes on this land of heroes and let their courage inspire. And let\u2019s fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith and freedom and never forget that where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom \u2014 and that means freedom always wins.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I\u2019ve previously taken issue with <\/span>Pence\u2019s misuse of the New Testament<\/span><\/a>, so I\u2019m not going to belabor what other Christians from across the theological spectrum have already pointed out: that it\u2019s nothing short of blasphemy to substitute symbols of American patriotism for Jesus Christ himself.<\/span><\/p>\n Glad Pence seems to know Scripture; grieved & appalled he\u2019d believe substituting \u201cOld Glory\u201d for \u201cJesus\u201d wasn\u2019t blasphemous and equating the freedom Paul was referring to with civil liberties. <\/p>\n Christians fix our eyes on Jesus, not the flag. <\/p>\n Screenshot credit: @amylpeterson pic.twitter.com\/hPt0lkLtcd<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Greg Jao (@GregJao) August 27, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"CWC](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/08\/IMG_5081.jpg\")
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