Where is our allegiance?

Last night, Barack Obama and John McCain met for the first time since becoming the presumptive nominee of their parties. Interestingly, they met at Saddleback church with Pastor Rick Warren as the moderator. Many people know him as the author of Purpose Driven Church/Life and establising massive networking machine within protestant evangelicalism. While there are things I like and dislike about Warren, that was not the point of last night's forum. (Though I am thankful he has moved away from right wing single issues political evangelicalism: abortion is important, but so is poverty, racism, HIV/aids, hunger, and human trafficking).

Last night was a unique time for both candidates to speak openly and honestly about their positions, character, and assumptions about leading the country. I don't get any of the cable news channels, but I was able to watch it online streaming from msnbc. I don't want to spend too much time talking about all the details. Briefly, I thought Obama was more personal and open. He seemed willing to discuss and explain how he believes what he believes. McCain was very straightforward and seemed to just reiterate everything his party platform already says.

One thing stuck out to me. It was something McCain said, and actually something he had written in TIME Magazine a few weeks ago. He tells a story of when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. His guards used to bind his hands and legs together with his head tucked down by his feet throughout the night. One night, a guard came in and loosened his ropes. A few hours later, he came back and tightened them again. A few months later, at Christmas, McCain was allowed to go outside for a few minutes. This guard, without saying a word, came and drew a cross in the dirt. McCain said last evening, "For a minute there, we were just two Christians worshipping together."

I thought it interesting that it was only for a minute. Obviously this is interpreted many different ways, but I see this as a deeper theological expression. For both the guard and McCain, nationalism comes before Christianity. I understand that many in the blogosphere may disagree, but when Christian is pitted against Christian in violent aggression for the sake of national interest, the church has a problem. The guard was unwilling to leave his post for the sake of another Christian (though he did risk much). McCain joined the military explaining that this his country has always been 'number one' in his life.

I often times wonder, if I may borrow a phrase from Ron Sider, what would happen if the church spent as much time and effort on peacekeeping as nations spent on war. We might be able to move from two enemies worshipping for a brief moment to two friends bound by the love of Christ deciding to renounce violent aggression. The time has now come where we can come together and worship in spirit and in truth.