Christ and the Confederate Flag
By Rev. David Wilson Rogers | June 27, 2015
In a brazen attack on innocent churchgoers, one gunman single-handedly sends nine Christians to their grave. In response to this cataclysmic tragedy that should leave all Christians collectively kneeling in prayer, what has taken the center stage is a piece of colorful cloth.
The association with the Confederate flag and the alleged shooter is well known. There is no hiding the fact that it is today a proud symbol of some hate groups. Yet, a long-standing debate over the relevancy, meaning, and appropriate place for that flag in American culture has been blown wide open following the deaths of these nine faithful worshipers.
The iconic flag was never the accepted Confederate emblem. Originally, it was merely the battle flag of General Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. It only came to define the South on the whole after the end of the Civil War. A few generations later it took on more significant meaning as a symbol of hate for some and a symbol of Southern pride for others.
For those who have been oppressed by that symbol it is understandably divisive. For those who see it as a form of cultural heritage, it has little to do with hatred but stands as a vibrant symbol of defiant independence in the face of tyranny.
Even within Christianity divisions over the correct interpretation of the flag’s meaning spark a great debate. Yet Scripture has valuable wisdom to which we can turn amid the massive media feeding frenzy over the flag. What is tragic about the entire reality is that the souls of nine Christians have lost their meaning while embattled opinions spar over a piece of fabric. The first question we must ask ourselves is since when did a piece of cloth have more importance than human life?
The second point we must proclaim as followers of Jesus Christ comes from the 8th chapter of First Corinthians and 14th chapter of Romans. In arguing legitimate aspects of defensible positions within Christianity, Paul raises the question that if our behavior causes others to stumble we need to address the behavior. Whatever one may think the Confederate flag means, this debate among Christians does not promote the love of God, nor bring healing to the lives that were torn by bloodshed and hatred.
Of course the third principle, also touched upon by Paul, comes down to the matter of the 10 Commandments. In no uncertain terms we are told that we shall not make idols. It seems evident that for many, that flag has become an idol—either an idol for good or an idol of evil. By creating the flag into an idol Christians have usurped our authority to speak for God and have placed unjustifiable power in a piece of fabric.
Finally it is good to remember that the Bible calls us to use our speech and our actions in ways that are useful for building up, not tearing down. Blasting another Christian because they understand the Confederate flag differently from you does not build up because it only further divides. Yelling across ideological lines over the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the flag serves nothing to further the love of Jesus Christ, let alone address the real tragedy at hand.
The flag really needs to come down and given its proper place in American history. Its power to hurt, divide, and destroy community degrades even its legitimate symbolism as an emblem of Southern Pride. Yet, we must not delude ourselves either. Removing the flag is ultimately a powerless and empty gesture. As Christians—with or without that flag flying high—the real work has yet to be done. In the name of Christ, we must overcome the hatred and division it represents before more innocent Christians die at the hands of hate.