Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won
liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations
then unborn: Grant, we pray, that we and all the peoples of this land
may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
I have to confess to having some reservations
about marking a national holiday with a Church service. Throughout our nation’s
history there has sometimes been a dangerous blurring of the lines between
Christian identity and national identity. I say this is dangerous not because
I’m concerned about our national ideals being influenced by the Gospel, but
because I’m concerned about the Gospel being influenced by national ideals.
Tony Campolo made an insightful remark about the mixing of Church and politics.
He said it is sort of like mixing ice cream and manure. It may not ruin the manure, but it sure
spoils the ice cream!
Sociologist Robert Bellah has argued that the United States has "an elaborate and well-instituted civil religion" which exists alongside of and distinct from our various religious traditions. There is a generic, benevolent, creator God associated with this civil faith—that presumably all Americans can worship, although our national God has become more and more controversial as our religious landscape has evolved beyond Jews and Christians.
Sociologist Robert Bellah has argued that the United States has "an elaborate and well-instituted civil religion" which exists alongside of and distinct from our various religious traditions. There is a generic, benevolent, creator God associated with this civil faith—that presumably all Americans can worship, although our national God has become more and more controversial as our religious landscape has evolved beyond Jews and Christians.
Our civil faith has saints like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther
King Jr. It has its shrines and
temples like Mt. Rushmore,
the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, and the
Lincoln Memorial, we have national hymns like the Star Spangled Banner, and it
even has holy days like the Fourth of July. The influence of our civic religion
is pervasive, giving most Americans—even the unchurched—the vague impression
that they are at least in some sense religious.
Our civil faith serves as the
foundation and moral justification for our national identity and mission. This
religion serves as a powerful motivation for action. It can inspire people to
go to war and even lay down their lives. All of which is extremely noble when
in the service of the truth, but what happens when the values of our society
conflict with the Christian faith? The allegiance of some Americans to this
civil religion is far greater than any nominal commitment they may have to the
Christian faith. For instance how many Americans would lay down their life for
the truth of the gospel? The civil faith has a more powerful grip on the hearts
and minds of the people. Christianity is judged by the standard of our civil
faith, rather than our civil faith being judged by the standard of
Christianity. This is true whether our civil faith is of the liberal variety or
the conservative variety, for of course it too has its denominations.
If there is a dangerous
side to patriotism, there is also a positive one. The love of one’s homeland is
a natural and a wholesome thing, especially when one’s nation has such evident
virtues as ours clearly has. Philosopher
Jeffrey Stout says that piety is the virtue associated with gratitude toward
the sources of one's existence. It is therefore appropriate this day that we
give thanks to Almighty God for the liberty and prosperity we in the United States
enjoy. Whenever our allegiance to our nation leads us
off the path of discipleship to Christ, we must willing to pluck out that eye,
as dear as it is to us. Jesus does not object to wholesome patriotism. He clearly had a deep love for his own people and homeland. Even when he was confronted with the question of whether Jews should pay taxes to Rome, he said, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." If someone lives in a nation and enjoys its privileges, they should acknowledge that debt and be thankful for it, even if their ultimate allegiance belongs to God.
Patriotism should arise from natural affection,
gratitude, and thanksgiving rather than jingoism or pride. C.S. Lewis wrote,
“Patriotism of this kind is not in the least aggressive. It asks only to be let
alone. It becomes militant only to protect what it loves. In any mind that has
a pennyworth of imagination it produces a good attitude towards foreigners. How
can I love my home without coming to realize that other men, no less rightly,
love theirs?”
Jesus directly challenges jingoistic
nationalism. He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say
to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes
his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the
unjust.”
As Christians we have an identity that transcends
national borders. God’s family is made up of people of every tribe and nation.
We are citizens of the Kingdom of God first and citizens of the United States of America
second. Our reading from Hebrews tells us that we to live as pilgrims and
strangers on this earth, seeking a city with foundations whose builder and
maker is God.
When the People of Israel were in exile in Babylon, the Word of the Lord came to Jerimiah and declared,
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
The Lord wants us too, to seek the welfare of this
nation in which he has placed us by his providence. We should put down roots
here and contribute to its culture and government. We should have a wholesome
pride in our country celebrating and affirming everything that is good, but
raising our voice in dissent when necessary. The words of American statesman
Carl Schurz are often used as an expression of extreme Jingoism, but mark the
lesser known second part,
“My country, right or wrong; if right, to be
kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”