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The Internationalism
Of The Salvation Army
by
Steve Bussey
I have been thinking about the
"internationalism" of The Salvation Army lately - and how we
are called to be "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the
praises of him who called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).
Paul reminds us that "our citizenship
is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the
Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). The word for
"citizenship" in Greek is "politeuma" - meaning being part of
a "commonwealth," meaning that one should "conduct" themselves
in a way that is consistent with the by laws of the nation
from which they come.
On Biblehub, this descriptor is given:
"In the Greco-Roman world, citizenship
was a highly valued status, conferring rights, privileges, and
responsibilities within a city-state or the Roman Empire.
Citizens were expected to participate in civic duties and
uphold the laws and values of their community. For early
Christians, the concept of heavenly citizenship provided a
powerful metaphor for their identity and allegiance to God's
kingdom, often in contrast to the surrounding pagan society."
I think this is such an important issue
for all Christians - but especially for those of us who are
part of The Salvation Army who celebrate a connection that
transcends political or national boundaries - but also the
limitations of a space-and-time bound philosophy and ethic.
There is something "more than meets the eye" when it comes to
what shapes our beliefs and values, our perception and
understanding of reality, and the motivational forces that
drive us to action... Those who live as part of a "holy
nation" must be different from and maybe even at odds with the
general trend of the broader populace.
Paul speaks to the Ephesians and
reminds them:
"You are no longer foreigners and
strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also
members of His household, built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
cornerstone. In Him, the whole building is joined together and
rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too
are being built together to become a dwelling in which God
lives by his Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Here the word for "fellow citizen" is
"sumpolités" - a word that emphasizes a socially dynamic
"withness" between those who share this common identity of
heavenly, holy citizenship. One might use the term "social
holiness" - a banding together of a group of individuals that
transcends the borders of any geographic or generational
marker.
John Wesley stated:
"Solitary religion is not to be found
there. “Holy Solitaries” is a phrase no more consistent with
the gospel than Holy Adulterers. The gospel of Christ knows of
no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness.
Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth and
height of Christian perfection."
Bible Hub's description states that the
Greek word "sumpolités" indicates "a sense of belonging and
community within a political or social entity. In the New
Testament, it is used metaphorically to describe the spiritual
unity and shared identity of believers in Christ."
So what is that "political or social
entity" that is referred to that describes a "spiritual unity"
and "shared identity"?
Is this our local church? Yes.
Is it the visible church? Yes.
Is it the universal invisible church?
Yes, yes, yes!
This goes beyond even denominational
boundaries to something so much bigger. It is our "withness"
with God and our "withness" with the universal bride of
Christ. It is our "withness" with the "great cloud of
witnesses" referred to in Hebrews 12:1. This "cloud"
('nephos') refers to a "multitude" with whom we associate
"with" - like a series of particles that form a cloud that
stretches across the sky!
Biblehub again elaborates on this word:
"In ancient Greek culture, clouds were
often seen as divine or mysterious, representing the heavens
and the dwelling place of the gods. In the biblical context,
clouds frequently symbolize the presence and glory of God, as
seen in the Old Testament with the cloud that led the
Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). The metaphorical
use of "nephos" in the New Testament draws on this imagery to
convey a sense of divine witness and spiritual reality."
We are part of something so much bigger
than our local setting - even our denominational setting. We
are part of a great work that God is doing in this world and
throughout history! We are a particle of that much bigger
'nephos.'
Such a citizenship within a heavenly
and holy nation might sound like we have our 'head in the
clouds.' Is this simply the promotion of some form of
spiritual escapism from this world - a justification of "being
so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good?" Is this some
rationale for an Army of spiritual beatniks oblivious to the
pain and brokenness evident all around us in our local
communities? Is that what Scripture is suggesting as being the
mission of the church? No, no no. It is so much more than
that...
Enter Dutch-Canadian theologian, Hans
Boersma, whose book, "Heavenly Participation: The Weaving of a
Sacramental Tapestry" I have been reading this week. His view
on "sacramental ontology" speaks to me as a Salvationist who
deeply values the interconnectivity with a broader historic
and global community shaped by a common view of reality. Here
is what Boersma shares about heavenly citizenship:
"Saint Paul's theology is an
otherworldly theology. He is much more concerned with heavenly
participation than about earthly enjoyment... For Saint Paul,
heaven is our home. After all, he insists our citizenship
papers carry the stamp of heaven. '[O]ur citizenship is in
heaven,' he plainly remarks [Phil 3:20; Eph. 2:12]. This
citizenship of Christians is incompatible with attempts to
turn earthly ends into ultimate concerns.
Speaking of enemies of the cross, the
apostle observes, 'Their destiny is destruction, their god is
their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind
is on earthly things' [Phil. 3:19]. The heavenly identity of
believers is, according to Paul, already a present reality.
The rather realized eschatology of the letters to the
Ephesians and Colossians is emphatic about this present
reality.
For Paul, it is not as though believers
here on earth somehow identify with a faraway place called
'heaven.' Rather, they have a real or participatory
connectedness with heaven...
To be sure, St. Paul's otherworldliness
does not stand in absolute opposition to every this-worldly
orientation. Rather, heavenly participation means that life on
earth takes on a heavenly dimension. The church, through her
participation in heaven, is called upon to make known the
wisdom of God 'to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
realms' [Eph. 3:10].
Heavenly participation implies a battle
'against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms'
[Eph. 6:12].
Precisely because heaven is already
present on earth, the moral lives of Christians on earth are
to reflect their heavenly participation. 'Since then, you have
been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your
minds on things above, not on earthly things [Col. 3:1-2]. The
apostle then comments on the vices that are connected to the
'earthly nature' [Col. 3:5] and encourages believers to follow
the virtues of Christ [Col. 3:5-17].
PARTICIPATION IN HEAVEN CHANGES LIFE ON
EARTH: PARADOXICALLY, ONLY OTHERWORLDLINESS GUARANTEES PROPER
ENGAGEMENT IN THIS WORLD."
- Hans Boersma, "Heavenly
Participation: The Weaving of a Sacramental Tapestry" (2011,
4-5).
There is so much more that could be
quoted here - but as a Salvationist, this perspective
resonates so deeply on so many levels that I fear it to be
near impossible to unpack.
Do you see the connection to holiness
as a sacramental interweaving of the supernatural work of
grace into the natural, situated circumstances of everyday
life?
Do you see how there is an
immanent-transcendence that occurs when the eternal reality of
the presence of the Holy Spirit abides in us?
Do you see that when the presence of
God "synagogues" within us, we become the dwelling place, the
'household' (oikos) or temple of the living God - that we will
be like "aliens" and "strangers" residing in a foreign land?
In such a world, we find our sense of
identity and purpose 'with' a community that transcends any
local setting. We find ourselves not only woven together
'with' the living God - but we find a 'withness' that connects
us with the people of God for whom "salvation" has become
their "-ism" - their worldview. This 'ism' is much bigger than
mere 'this-world-isms.'
When CHRIST becomes our cornerstone, we
find our unified identity 'within' the glorification of HIS
personhood and purpose 'within' HIS mission to spread HIS
holiness manifested in full salvation to the ends of the
earth!
So, what does this all mean? To bring
this back to the concrete reality of 'this' world that is
being shaped by the paradigm of 'that' world in the here and
now - it means that our GLOBAL interconnectivity is a vital
testimony to our heavenly citizenship!
In a world of fragmented opinions
driven by partisan perspectives on pretty much everything one
could imagine, our heavenly citizenship calls us to an uncanny
unity that stands in the grandest contrast to a world divided.
May the image of God be stamped on the
passports of our hearts and declare a spirit of nonconformity
to the patterns of this world! Let us renew our heads, hands,
and hearts to be true to the timeless principles of biblical
Salvationism!
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