Simply practicing adult believer baptism as an end or point of righteousness in itself misses the point. … That is, “be baptized” once one reaches the “age of accountability” serves simply as a cultural or familial or ethnic expectation, thus ignoring the countercultural intent of transcending family, culture, gender, race, and ethnic. (p.153)

… many (most?) Christians in the Bible Belt apparently consider patriotism, and its first cousin, nationalism, to be manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit, a “natural” consequence of our love for our awesome God.. … ultimately the problem with patriotism is its very limited, sectarian nature. In baptism, Christians become part of a community that transcends race, ethnicity, gender, or citizenship. … In nationalism, our ultimate identity lies in being “American.” In baptism, our ultimate identity lies in being disciples of Christ …” (pp.157-158)

When Paul asserted that all fundamental markers of identity, particularly those that buttress separation or estrangement, must be submitted to our identity found in Christ, he included three of the most powerful sources of estrangement in his day: ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic class. Since Paul wrote before the advent of the modern nation-state, we should add “nationality” to the list, for it is, in the contemporary Western world at least, the most revered source of identity and separation from others. … Perhaps Hitler better understood than many Christians the allegiance Jesus required of his disciples when he declared, “One can either be a good German or a good Christian. It is impossible to be both at the same time.” (pp.158-159)

“I fought in the war so you can have the liberty to stand up there and preach about nonviolence,” some retort. Well, no, quite to the contrary, Jesus died to free us from fear and self-centeredness, and our faith in his resurrection frees us to preach nonviolent love of enemy. (pp.158-159)