Coming out of mass the other day, I noticed the T-shirt worn by a woman I didnt recognize.
It read: This City Belongs to Jesus. And in smaller print: Rapid City, SD.
Im pretty big on Jesus. Im also pretty uncomfortable with the message on that T-shirt. Ive seen it before. It has been a focus by a group of pastors in Rapid City for several years.
When I got home from mass, I Googled This city belongs and my computer quickly filled in the to Jesus and led me to a page (thiscitybelongstojesus.com) listing past and upcoming rallies here in Rapid City committed to dedicating the city to Jesus.
There is also a This City Belongs to Jesus Facebook page, with an introduction that reads: This page is dedicated to the church of Rapid City coming together under the name of Jesus.
Now, I hate to state the obvious, but Rapid City is, as its name suggests, a city, not a church. It shouldnt be seen as a church. It shouldnt be managed like a church. It is a community of people with different beliefs including those on religion and a framework of businesses and services and government to support and hopefully benefit all of us.
As a city, not a church.
Christianity is certainly the dominant religion here in Rapid City, as it is throughout South Dakota. But we Christians dont represent everyone. And we shouldnt try to impose our religious views on everyone, or anyone.
Nor should a mayor who happens to also have worked as a Christian minister act as a minister first and a mayor second. Im not saying our current mayor does that. I bring him up only because before he was mayor, Jason Salamun was executive pastor at Fountain Springs Church. Sometimes he still sounds like a pastor, which is OK, up to a point.
Its fine for government officials to be informed by their religious beliefs. Its not fine at all when they try to impose them on others.
I love the idea of Christ being central to our lives. I certainly try to make him central to mine. But not everybody does. Not everybody believes what I believe, or what Salamun believes.
Thats why its so important to keep some space between religion and government. And its why I worry when religious leaders start talking about the church of Rapid City and the city belonging to Jesus.
When I saw the womans T-shirt the other day, I had to wonder: OK, but what about Jews? What about Muslims? What about Hindus? What about Buddhists? What about Wiccans? (Yes, there are Wiccans here). What about agnostics and atheists?
And, especially, given where we live, what about Indigenous people? Of course, many are Christian. But many others practice their own Native American spirituality, worshipping a creator who has nothing to do with Jesus. Imagine how they might feel when they see people wearing the This City Belongs to Jesus T-shirt.
Rapid City belongs to all of us residents, of course. It belongs to the rule of law, the state Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.
Christians or not, we are all citizens of the same city, with the same rights and challenges and the same hopes and dreams for ourselves and our families. And we can all call this city our own.
This is a city issue that is also a state issue and a national issue. The promoters of Christian nationalism seek a dangerous convergence of government and religion. Christian religion, of course.
But this is a nation where our many freedoms are intended to include protection for those with different religious beliefs or none at all from a potentially oppressive religious majority.
We have seen what happens in other countries where religion and government become one. We should never want that here.
So when it comes to message T-shirts, Id much prefer one that reads: My heart belongs to Jesus, but my city belongs to everyone.
That one Id wear.
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