It seems like every President of the United States of America says it. Often it is said at their inaugural address, but it happens throughout the time that they are President. Member of Congress state it to the people that vote them in. The people of the USA says it too themsleves and to the world. It seems to be a statement that is in the American DNA.
“ We are a city set on a hill “ This is a verse that comes from the Bible. It is from the Sermon on the Mount that is written about in the book of Matthew. The sermon invites the followers of Jesus to be a different community. The beginning of the sermon starts with poetry: Blessed are the poor in Spirit. … blessed are merciful for they shall receive mercy. There are about 10 “blesseds” in the short passage.
I believe Jesus wants his community to be a city on the hill for people to love their enemies and pray for the those who persecute you. I believe the Sermon on the Mount is for the community of faith to be vulnerable open and honest.
The way that I see the United States using this verse is that they believe that they are the kings of the castle that they have built on the hill. They are the number one nation in the world. They are the leaders of the free world. I do not know how they came to use this verse for their understanding of who they are. They are the most powerful nation in the world
When the Puritans came to America in 1620 it was also part of their motto, but they want to set up a country based on religious principles. When the Constitution was set up over 150 years later, the writers said that their country would have freedom from religion.
So this motto is not part of the legislative fabric of the nation but the politicians have used the concept to further the idea that the USA has the most favoured nation status with God. Many times they have melded the idea that they are city set on a hill from a nationalistic and Christian point of view. It is said that the USA is supposed to have a division between church and state. But in reality, the Americans, I think, are always going back and forth between these two ideas about who they are.
“ We are the light of the the world, and we are the city set on a hill” is the whole verse found in Matthew 5:14. We cannot demand that the nations live up to this Christian principle. After all, nations want to be more stable, and more powerful, and and more progressive. If they want to use this idea of being a light, then we must call them out on it.
But, the task of the church is to be a light. The Sermon on the Mount has caused divisions in the church . Some say that the Sermon is too hard to follow,and it is a vision of heaven. So loving our enemies that is stated in Matthew 6 is too hard and impractical for life here on earth. Yes the Sermon is hard to follow, and impractical from the point of view of the world, but , I believe, it is at the heart of who we are as a church.
There was the childhood game called the king of the castle. At the end of the game, the winner would say, “ I am the king of the castle and your are the dirty rascal “ . The object of the game, was to keep people off the mound or small hill. People would try to run up, and stay on the top, but the biggest person would always throw everyone off, and win the game.
The church should never try to be the king of the castle of the world. We are called to welcome the stranger , feed the hungry and clothe the naked. We are called to work with the most vulnerable of this world. . King of the castle is not a game we should every play outside of the church or within the church. Period.
Ponder Anew 