Author's note: This article was first published in the summer of 2003. Shortly thereafter, my church employer and I…uh…parted company. It was God's way of getting me off my rear and into the church plant that I am now leading, but at the time it was a little scary. To their credit, the church, in letting me go took good care of my family and did their best to put a positive spin on things (both of which I am very grateful for). But the bottom line is that in this era of charged political debate, the evangelical church in America seems to have come down on the side of those who say dissent is somehow unpatriotic and that to be a Good Christian also means being a Good American. I again offer this article in the hopes that those now planning a good ol' patriotic Fourth of July Service (on Sunday this year) will think twice… and perhaps instead of singing the Star Spangled Banner, will spend time praying for victims of war and terrorism alike, for our enemies and for peace in our world.
Our call to worship that 4th of July weekend was This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land. After the Color Guard presented the flag, we stood, said the Pledge of Allegiance and then sang The Star-Spangled Banner. Our worship set included The Battle Hymn of the Republic, My Country 'Tis of Thee, America the Beautiful and God Bless America. We even finished the service by asking the congregation to sing along with Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA ("I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free…").
And through the whole thing I couldn't help but think how moving it was with flags draped from the ceiling, how well-done the music sounded with the drums beating a military cadence throughout… and how incredibly wrong that we were doing any of it.
Who Are You?
The word that the New Testament uses to describe those of us who belong to God's Kingdom, yet still reside here on earth is "strangers." The idea is that our citizenship has shifted to another country, that we have become aliens- people who reside in one country, but whose allegiance, heart and destiny lie with another. The writer of Hebrews says it this way: "For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. " (Heb. 13:14, NASB). He praised those who were able to recognize their status here: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth."
Strangers, citizens of another Kingdom, those whose heart is set on another place. Yes- we are to pray for our leaders and seek the peace and welfare of the area where God has placed us, but we need to be exceedingly careful of becoming attached to this temporary residence of ours- even when it comes to its finer qualities.
So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt?
As I read the Old Testament accounts of exile, particularly the story of the children of Israel in Egypt, I'm struck by the picture that God was drawing: His people, under oppression in a country not their own, longing for the one who would come and lead them out to the promised land. I have no doubt, and we can see from their complaints in the desert that the region of Goshen where they resided was nice, relatively plague-free, perhaps less wicked than the areas of Egypt that surrounded, but it was still Egypt nonetheless. Can you imagine if the Israelites had become so enamored of Goshen that after almost 400 years there, they had begun to write songs about Goshen, pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to Goshen, and had begun to think of Goshen as being the greatest land on the face of the earth ("God Bless Goshen!", "And I'm proud to be a Goshenite, where at least I'm still plague-free!"). I think an objective observer would have rightly asked, "You foolish people! Are you forgetting that this is not your home?"
While we can appreciate the ways that God has blessed us here in America, to lose sight of our status as aliens, to become enamored of this land in which we live, to forget that someday One will come and lead us out would be nothing less than foolish.
More than just foolish, I think some of the ways in which we celebrate our "Godly American Heritage" in the context of a worship service may even be directly contrary to the Gospel. Jesus said, quoting Isaiah, "My House will be called a house of prayer for all nations…" as He rebuked the temple authorities for falling down on the "house of prayer" part. I wonder if, by allowing nationalistic displays into our corporate worship time, into God's temple the Church, we are falling down on the "for all nations part."
No, there's nothing wrong with patriotism in the sense of rooting for your team and appreciating your country. But when it becomes more than that… For C.S. Lewis patriotism could be dangerous in that it could serve as a means to wrest man's focus from where it belongs toward something very temporal indeed.
"Let him begin by treating Patriotism… as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the cause, in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments in can produce…"
"A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself."
And there it is… What was bothering me so much during that 4th of July service wasn't so much that we were celebrating America (believe it or not, I actually do have some warm feelings for my country). It wasn't so much what we were doing, as what we weren't. We had taken a time that belonged to the worship of God and turned it towards the appreciation of a country, a political system, a flag. We said that we were worshiping God through the singing of those patriotic songs, the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance and the rest, but in fact, by the true definition of worship- recognizing worth- we were worshiping America.
The End of America
It's not wrong to love our country. We can be proud of our
humanitarian efforts throughout the world. No one gives more money and
other types of aid to developing nations than the USA. We can be proud
that we are slowly coming to live out our creed: All men are created
equal.
But even in our more patriotic moments, we shouldn't forget some of the
painful aspects of our history such as our treatment of Native
Americans, the damaging effects of which can still be seen today. We
shouldn't whitewash our history of slavery and our support of dictators
around the world when it served our purposes. And most of all, we
mustn't forget what America really is. In Adventures In Missing The
Point, Tony Campolo puts it this way: "America may be the best Babylon
the world has, but it is still Babylon nonetheless."
We live in Babylon, folks. It's a world system that transcends borders, is dominated by American-style consumerism and exploitation, and is fundamentally opposed to the Kingdom of God. More than that, it's a system which will someday be brought to a terrifying and glorious end by the coming of God's Anointed One. Yes, someday Jesus Himself will sweep America, along with all the other babelistic towers we have built, into the dustbin of history.
And, the Bible says, at this the people of God will rejoice. (Revelation 18:20-19:4)
So if we know that someday we as the Church will cheer the fall of America and the rest of the nations of the world, what should be our attitude now?
How Should We Then Celebrate?
We need to make sure that the message of our worship environment
(the message people intuit when they walk into our building or
sanctuary) is consistent with our doctrine: Our allegiance belongs to
Christ alone, we are citizens of another country, and we are looking
not to the country in which we live, but to a heavenly one. Probably
the best way to do this in the context of the 4th of July would be to
honor God and worship Him as the one who brings freedom of all kinds,
not the least of which may be freedom from tyranny.
We can thank God for His blessings, ask His forgiveness for our
national sins and offer the freedom of Christ to all who are there,
American or not.
Expatriate or Ex-Patriot?
I lived for two years in the Netherlands as an "expatriate" - someone who lives as a non-citizen in a country not their own. I learned a lot of things, but most of all, through the homesickness I sometimes felt, even in the midst of loving my experience of living abroad, I learned an excellent model for our time here on earth. We are, all of us who know Christ, expatriates- living for a time in a foreign country. We can enjoy it, but if we ever stop feeling homesick, we are in trouble.
So, next Fourth of July, go ahead and light off some fireworks, thank God for the freedoms you have, enjoy a nice parade or picnic… but maybe leave the Star-Spangled Banner out of the worship set, okay?
Bob Hyatt is the lead pastor of the Evergreen Community, an emerging community in Portland, Or (www.evergreenlife.org). More importantly he is the husband of Amy and the father of Jack.
amer-o-centric
thanks to those of you who are not americans for your patience with this article… it came out of a very “american” experience, the 4th of July… but I think has principles for every nationality… Someday, I’ll re-write something similar, but more globally oriented.
bob hyatt
lead pastor: the evergreen community
www.evergreenlife.org
Patriotism as worship
Thanks for this well thought out article. What strikes me most is that “worship” is indeed the right word to describe such practices in our church (even if it is not toward the Almighty God). Thanks again.
spirits moving in unison
Hi. I have never been to this site before, but I was brought in by the pingSociety system.
I couldn’t help but coming here when I saw the headline and saw that it was similar in sentiment to what I have just posted also. I think you will not agree perhaps if you read my post on http://weblogs.ar-den.com, but the basic idea is the same: we are supposed to be children of God, not made in America’s image. I have a plan brewing to turn the tables peacefully if you care to look into it. The overall stuff will be released 7/4/2004, but theres lots of intro stuff on my blog.
Great work!
From the North
Well I’m your neighbor to the North and many would argue that we are practically a colony, so what happens down there affects us.
Canada has her own set of problems but patriotism is not really one of them. We too have our committed crimes against the native peoples. We also have deep rooted hurt between the French Canadians and the English Canadians. Some of which is being addressed at a spiritual level as we speak in Montreal.
http://www.watchmen.org/particles/feb04/english/homecoming.html
The disdain, anger, resentment and “we won’t take anymore” attitude is pretty much world-wide in relation to US policy, arrogance and empire. But I don’t believe it’s going to be a second coming of some sort that will end US dominance but rather a grassroots movement of awakened earth citizens. The contrast between those who care for humanity’s future and are willing to work together for peace and those who will use force, co-ersion and power to maintain control is becoming more and more clear everyday.
To quote Bruce Cockburn in his song “Santiago Sunrise”:
“See them rising like grass through cement”
granted the cement of the empires “paving” will remain for many years to come but rising from beneath is an unstoppable force. The picture is an unused highway cracking and blistering and grass, weeds, flowers and trees growing up from underneath, making the cracks even wider. This is what we all need personally, allowing God to grow something from the depths of our heart that forces out the pavement of modernism and it’s something we need nationally and globally.
No Empires don’t fall from some force above, they crumble from within and life will go on…LIFE will go on.
thanks for listening
peace
Paul Seburn
Beyond patriotism
As a citizen (actually, a subject) of a nation, the United Kingdom, which has shown its own insensitivity to the rest of the world, in the past at least, your story pressed many buttons for me. Patriotism is always a dangerous area for those who ‘are seeking the city which is to come’.
But having also lived at one time in Australia, a country which is trying to create its own identity as a nation in its own right and not just as a former colony, I have observed another subtle danger.
Contextualistion challenges us to find meaningful connections between the gospel and our cultures in order for it to be understood within those cultures. Indeed, Arbuckle writes of ‘inserting the gospel into the heart of a culture’. In Australia there have been some imaginative attempts to present the gospel in a truly Australian way, yet I was sometimes left thinking that those attempts came perilously close to wrapping the gospel in an Australian flag. There may be echoes of the gospel within Australian (and any other) culture, but ultimately the gospel challenges all cultures. And the same is true of me as an individual: the gospel reaches into and connects with my inmost being in the most relevant way possible, but it will not leave me unchanged.
I believe that one of the keys to Christians avoiding the trap of inappropriate patriotism is for us to have as much contact as possible with believers from other cultures in ways which are open and not dominated by one particular culture. In that way we might begin to experience rather than just believe that in Christ there really is ‘neither Jew nor Greek’. We may even discover that we have more in common with believers from other countries than with our neighbours who share our culture but not our faith commitment. And you, Bob, will be able to celebrate God’s goodness to your nation without confusing celebration and worship. Happy 4th July 2005!
Patriotism and God
Dear Bob, you appear to have had a genuine conversion — perhaps even a religious conversion to Christ. I say this hesitantly because I am totally unfamiliar with the religious language you use. But you do seem to confirm that much of American religiosity is at best sub-Christian, and your description of a July 4th “worship service” is distinctly non-Christian. Great fun, all good rousing stuff, I am sure; probably harmless — except that it distracts from God, his Son and the Holy Spirit. From the bottom left hand corner of Australia I send my heartfelt thanks and wish you well in your ministry.
I am not against a bit of patriotism at times, it helps to bind society together, provides a link with those of other faiths and none. But it should be kept in proportion and not taken too seriously. For myself I have a Welsh father and an English mother, and I have spent half my life in the UK and half in Australia. I can still get a bit dewy eyed on hearing a verse or two of “Hen Wlad fy nhadau”, the Welsh national anthem, and buy me a drink or two and I will give you a rousing chorus of “Sospan fach” — they remind me of my youth and both should be sung at Rugby football matches, or in a pub, not in church. Those, and another couple of songs, exhaust my Welsh vocabulary, and that is as far as patriotism should go.
Here in Australia we have the annual dawn service on Anzac Day, commemorating the Gallipoli landings of WW I. Bands and military parades indeed, and rousing patriotic speeches after the service, but at the service it is hymns and prayers that are recognisably Christian, and the service is led by clergy robed as clergy rather than as ‘seeker friendly’ entertainers. It is still too “patriotic” for me, but then I have too many memories of WW II. I thank God that Anzac Day is only once a year.
I always remember the aphorism of Samuel Johnson from the 18th cent.: “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scounrel!” I think it is probably true — there is a bit of a scoundrel in all of us. But the US of late seems to have cornered the world market in scoundrels with the Patriot Act. On a reasonable assumption, half the population approve of the Act — they are self-confessed scoundrels. The other half, who do not approve, accept that their opponents are scoundrels, and are in turn scoundrels themselves in the eyes of the Act’s supporters. So we have the USA made up of 100% scoundrels!!!
As for Christian worship, I go along with the Psalmist — ‘Be still and know that I am God!’ At the regular weekly Eucharist I seek communion with God,through the Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit. All very unspectacular, done “decently and in order” as St Paul would have it. And although I know that I often do not attend to God, He never forgets me, and just occasionaly I am vouchsafed a glimpse of God — the hem of His garment, as He passes by, or His face reflected in the smile of a child, and I know that my true home is not here but the New Jerusalem.
God Bless,
John D Lewis
Can America withstand the Pharisees' lash?
I read Bob’s article with great interest because it reminded me of a similar article he had written some time ago that likewise took a dim view of “American” worship (it was deficient in its ability to express grief) and, at that time he took liberty to speak on behalf of those of us who inhabited the “sphere of American Christianity”.
I write this first, to share that not all American Christians, or even evangelical ones, engaged in the sort of lavish display Bob describes and second, to express some frustration with those who can very clearly see America’s sins (apparently the cause of all evil in the world) and seem blind, or at least tolerant of other countries sins and possibly oblivious to their own. Many seem to wish to talk of imperialism, consumerism, environmental rapacity yet say little about a pervasive climate of unbridled sexuality, the vulgarization of the arts or persecution of fellow christians around the world which goes unnoticed by most of the media.
I do not recall that our conservative, orthodox anglican service this past 4th of July was anything but what it usually is: decent, orderly, reverent, worshipful and holy in the sense the place, the people and the time were set apart for God and God alone.
This sense of holiness should intrude more and more in our dealings day in and day out with the “world system” which Bob mentions, and for many of us it does. Each week, we walk ever more closely with God and sense His presence, guidance and his will. Each week we try to follow, trust and obey God within the finite limits imposed on us by our carnal natures and our hard hearts.
[Before I continue-an aside: Bob, you are a pastor. If you are going to address the world system might you be a bit more expansive in attributing its dominance to American consumerism and exploitation? There is more to the world system that that, not least of which is a large entrenched system of false religion which is inimical to Christ and his Church. To limit your remarks panders to America haters and allows attention to be diverted from your main point which is one worthy of discussion. ” …and that the whole world (system?)is under the control of the evil one.”
1 John 5:19 (NIV)]
Before I wrote this, I did not check the order of service booklet for that Sunday, but I can say from memory that we sang a hymn which spoke passionately and eloquently of our true home in the new Jerusalem in stark contrast with our temporary residence here. It was this hymn which set the theme of the sermon or homily.
I know that the sermon that 4th of July mentioned briefly the fragile nature of political and personal freedom as concepts expressed in the historical documents of the United States. It also briefly spoke of the struggles required to preserve those freedoms for citizens of the United States and the terrible costs to help preserve them for others. The sermon likewise dealt with some of this country’s great and terrible failings in this arena and that true freedom carried with it heavy and serious responsibilities. The sermon noted that it seemed, in our country as in other countries, in our churches as in other countries churches, people wanted to feel good and be free. For the most part, be free seemed to mean freedom from moral and ethical restraints. We should be truly free in Christ but we should not be libertines.
But most importantly the sermon pointed out that our ideas of freedom from tyranny and oppression were dim reflections of the true blessings of real freedom in Christ Jesus and though as citizens of the United States we had freedoms, rights and obligations similar to those St. Paul exercised as a citizen of Rome, our freedoms and obligations as citizens (subjects?) of God’s kingdom trumped all others. Heaven, not earth is our home, we are just sojourners here. Our faith in Christ changes us within, day by day, into his image, into his way of viewing people and things and shapes our actions up to and including how we behave as citizens of our country. Our citizenship should not shape our faith, influence our fellowship with Christ and it should never be confused with our status as loyal subjects of our great King and God.
I also remember the recessional hymn was Eternal Father, sometimes called “The Navy Hymn” and that two of our parishoners had difficulty singing it without choking back tears because one’s only son is flying helicopters of an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf and the other’s only sons are both serving in the same region as infantrymen in United States Marine Corps.
Because I am fairly close to both parties I can assure you that they sang that hymn not as a anthem to United States imperialism, but as prayer for the safety and souls of their sons, their companions and all others in peril on the sea.
To elaborate further, I am confident in saying that the young naval officer flying helicopters and the two Marines serve their country out of a sense of duty arising out of an appreciation of the blessings which this relatively free, though sinful, country has provided for them.
I am likewise confident that they believe that they have helped create an environment where some kind of free society can emerge in Iraq. I will not argue the right or wrong of the politics of the matter but in Iraq, like in other foreign lands where the United States has excercised military force, it has done so and asked for no more territory than what’s required to bury its dead sons and daughters.
Much of the criticism ( I refer here to some of the responses to Bob’s post) of the United States seems to stem from people who resent America’s willingness to apply its military to destroy its enemies (and the enemies of her critics). I am reminded of Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and the fat innkeeper of the Prancing Pony in Bree who was told that a days ride from his inn were enemies who would freeze his heart. Rangers stood guard on his region’s borders and stood watch so he could sleep safely. Again, not arguing the politics of the matter, but many in the United States believe that our intentions in what is termed imperialism by some are honorable and selfless.
I must say this whole tired notion of American Imperialism, American arrogance and a hostility towards the United States hiding behind a veneer of christian spirituality is rather disgusting.
Perhaps we ought to examine ourselves with a critical spiritual eye and pick the logs out of it before we take on the sins, past, present and future, of an entire nation?
Alario
from one pharisee to another
dude… your casually dismissive and smarter-than-thou attitude is really, really annoying.
I’m glad that your orthodox, anglican church got it right. Congrats! That means the article didn’t really pertain to you. It was for all those young people at First Baptist Church who have a more global outlook on life, realize that the people they are trying to reach are not nearly so homogenous when it comes to patriotism and are tired of having to apologize for over-the-top displays of patriotism in church.
It sounds as though the service you attended and the sermon you heard on the 4th pretty well summed up what I said in the article, so what’s the issue?
Read the article again. Note the nice things I have to say about America. Do your best to understand the underlying theological concepts expressed. Get over your knee-jerk reaction to criticism of a Christianity tied a little too closely to Nationalism… it aparently doesn’t apply to you.
bob hyatt
lead pastor: the evergreen community
www.evergreenlife.org
America, pharisees and debate
As a European… I found Alario’s comments, concerning the prevailing assumption of American imperialism and of the presence other equally or maybe even more repugnant aspects of the world system, to be a helpful balance. (I refer to a general prevalence, without reference to Bob’s article.) It struck me as a thoughtful piece of writing and far from being a knee-jerk reaction.
In contrast, Bob’s response - seemingly posted just three hours after Alario’s posting - seems to be exactly that. I hope he will, on reflection, also take the opportunity to re-read Alario’s comment’s, as he requests Alario to do in respect of his article. For reason’s less than obvious, Bob seems annoyed that someone would differ from his point of view and imply that to do so was out of place, that his message was, after all, primarily for a different audience: “all the young people at FBC.”
Interestingly, the Jewish rabbinical method of learning is called midrash, meaning “search” and is based upon a particular form of debate: a debate, in which every participant is asked to contribute their point of view. The debate moves forward with an emphasis on understanding the other’s point of view, rather than any attempt at harmony, consencus or agreement, let alone the dominance of the teaching rabbi’s point of view (as is the tendency of hellenistic methods of learning). Following the debate it is up to each individual to decide what they perceive to be the “truth.” This method produces a vigourous form of discussion and debate, in which there is little incentive for taking other’s thoughts in a personal way. (It is mainly because of this method of debate that it is said (by Jews!) that if you have two Jews discussing a subject, you will find at least three or four opinions!!)
On the other hand, returning to the issue of the USA, Alario summarises:
While personally, I have some sympathy for this viewpoint, I think it is probably naive to hope that the world’s most powerful nation will not continue to attract harsh, unbalanced and unfair criticism. It is, perhaps, a factor of “to whom much is given much will be demanded,” however, it is a useful reminder that Christian veneers of all kinds are much more transparent than we ususally realise!
Shalom!
John
yes, my comments came at the
yes, my comments came at the end of a long and frustrating day and I made little or no attempts to filter them or my frustration. so for that I apologize.
this article has obviously affected much in my life over the last year… it got me fired, which led to me planting the church I now pastor. So… there’s been a lot of discussion and thought about it in my life.
here’s where I’m at with it now-
The article deals with two main themes: a connection between American Evangelicalism and a Nationalistic Patriotism and our identity as strangers and aliens in the world. There is also a minor echatalogical thread dealing with the telos, the wrapping up/end of things as well.
Of those two main themes, the second is the most important. The first is what everyone focuses on. And (follow me here) their criticism of my criticism of their waving the flag in worship services usually takes the form of waving the flag a bit more or a bit harder. I usually hear how cool America is and how much sacrifice has been been made, usually with anecdotes of service from one war or another (see the thread on next wave and note Terry’s comments http://www.the-next-wave.org/stories/storyReader$346 )
So- for the record!
I totally love America.
I still refuse to make qualitive judgments like “Greatest Nation on the Face of The Earth!”, unlike many of my American Evangelical brothers and sisters.
Knowing that the “hook” in the article is a contrarian slant on flag-waving in church, I really want people to get past that and deal with the central themes of our identity as citizens elsewhere, which few critics of the article seem to be able to do.
again… I’ll take a nap before responding to the next round :)
bob hyatt
lead pastor: the evergreen community
www.evergreenlife.org
What does it mean to be an American Christian
Gotta love a guy whose willing to hold up his hand - well done, Bob.
It seems to me, Bob, that any time someone takes on a major culturally accepted stronghold and attempts to question, redefine or plain bring it down, that person is going to take some considerable flak. And it’s going to take some considerable process before that person’s conviction about what really is at the root of the problem - as compared to the peripheral stuff - fully takes shape and it’s only as that process comes to fruition that people will decide whether they are really up for being a part of it and then a movement for change can really begin to develop.
The impression I get is that the time has never been riper for grass-root American Christians to be involved in redefinging what it means to be an American Christian - but I don’t envy anyone who steps up to the plate for that struggle, because it’s big, (but presumably not bigger than Jesus attempt at redefining what it meant to be the “people of God,” in the midst of fervent, first-century Judaism) however, if that is one of the aspects of what Jesus meant when he said “make discipels of all peoples / nations” then his assurance would be that he is with that person / movement in their struggle.
One thing is for sure, though, the unity that co-exists with diversity, through accepting and understanding one anothers viewpoint, while holding to our own with dignity, is one of the strongest ‘weapons’ we have, as fellow citizens of the kingdom of God.
shalom!
John<
I'll drink to that, one Pharisee to another.
Bob:
I don’t believe my response sunk to knee-jerk, casually dismissive or smarter-than-thou.
Before I wrote my response, I read your article several times (to give it the respect it deserves) and looked up and read (and read again) several of your other posts to get some context. I noted in my response that your article was worthy of discussion. I note here in writing what I noted mentally (but did not mention in my response)as I read your article that you had some good things to say about your country.
Your response to me indicated an awareness on your part that apparently our church got it right that Sunday and that the sermon supported your article. It should be apparent that I do not disagree with your assertion that nation worship is not God worship and is, therefore, idolatry and the nation which confuses the two is in danger. That our congregation has not disbanded after that Sunday’s service and has actually grown a little suggests that they, as a body of believers, are in tune with your point.
My description of our service was not a self-righteous lauding of our parish getting it right. It was a suggestion that in America more churches may have gotten it right than your article indicates.
I followed the theological threads fairly easily and take issue with one in particular and that is your seeming assertion that American consumerism and the evil world system are equivalents or that American consumerism is at the root of the world system.
While I will agree that rampant consumerism and a needs/value system created by Hollywood/Madison Avenue’s Pavlovians are part of this system, they are only part of it.
I think when an American pastor starts writing about American Christianity and its sins and in the same article equates Babylon with American consumerism without distinction and qualification, he invites certain members of his global audience to drop what they are doing and pile on(to use a good old American football term).
These are the people who I suggest seem always willing to impute an evil motive to American actions, attribute the world’s ills to America and have a predisposition to hate America all the while giving a pass on all manner of evil done by other nations, organizations, individuals and themselves. I don’t believe they are at all helped toward a lively faith by focusing on America’s great and many evils while they turn away from their own anymore so than they would be if they were encouraged to examine the sins of the biblical publican and pronounce themselves righteous in comparison.
Alario
As today was September the
As today was September the 10th (a Saturday) we had to put together a bulletin and bulletin cover for our AM services tomorrow, Sept. 11th.
In my frustration I decided to do a Google search on “patriotism as worship” and yours was the only article on the entire Web that got a hit on that exact phrase. I am gratified to see someone else’s mind has run in the same track as my own.
For the very reason you cite in the introduction to the article, I have been reluctant to fight that battle. I keep wondering whether I should do it anyway … I can easily imagine a similar reaction among the congregation of the church I pastor.
My inward parts have been in knots for years during every Memorial Day and 4th of July pageantry I reluctantly tolerate, all the pomp and circumstance (and yes, worship of America) we indulge ourselves in. I’m getting to where I’m beginning to tick some people off because of my lack of enthusiasm for this nationalistic idolatry.
Thanks for saying it well.
EDWD