“Thy kin-dom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

When I recite the Lord’s Prayer, I always get caught up on “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (I also refuse to say any version other than “debts,” because I know what student-loan debt is. But that’s a topic for another time.)

Christians have used many strategies to embody God’s kin-dom on earth as it is in heaven. And, repeatedly, humans have tried to unite political power with divinity.

For Christians, it began with Constantine’s conversion, leading to Christianity becoming the Roman Empire’s official religion.

It expanded during the Reformation, when Catholicism didn’t fit with the interests of certain states, so kings and clerics formed Protestant faith-and-nation unions.

Our foremothers and fathers of Anabaptism refused and said, “No. The church and state should not be one.” Their principled stand brought persecution, even martyrdom.

Although the United States has no established church, many Americans don’t divide church and state quite so clearly. Parties and politicians continue to draw people in with the illusion that political power can bring God’s will on earth.

In this issue, we explore Christian nationalism, a movement in which extremists do not shy from using violence to push their beliefs or impose their will.

You might ask, “Do Anabaptists need to think about this? Don’t we agree violence is wrong?”

I hope we agree on that. Even so, Christian nationalism is slippery and sneaky. If we are not intentional about standing in contrast to the hate and discrimination it breeds, we can become susceptible to its lies.

As you read this issue, I invite you to reflect on the Lord’s Prayer. What does God’s kin-dom on earth look like? How does it come about?