There’s a lot of hand wringing in the USA over mixing Jesus with love for country. And here it is, the 4th of July. Independence Day – where baseball, fireworks, and winning a war against invading aliens with 100 times our technology that we never saw coming, is on full display. And all of this on a Sunday no less, where some people may have even sung anthems celebrating a love for their country. Oh, the shock and turmoil this creates in 2021. Because, well, the horrors of mixing Jesus into your love for your country. But let’s break this down a bit, and its not so hard to see, its really fine to love Jesus and your country, and to even express that love, of all places…hold your breath…in a church! Exhale before you pass out.
It turns out, I love lots of things and people. I use the expression “I love coffee, or I love the KC Chiefs” all the time. As a follower and lover of Jesus, I’m grateful for coffee, and for the Chief’s wisdom to draft Patrick Mahomes first instead of, well, anyone else. Do I love Jesus less because I love coffee and the Chiefs? Well, not usually, though some might accuse me of it. But I use the same word. And that goes for other things in life.
Like, I love my wife. And next to Jesus, I love her more than any other person or thing. Once a year in a special way, we celebrate our love for each other. It’s called an anniversary. Its pretty common, at least from the Facebook posts I see, for other couples who appear to also be in love with each other to celebrate their special day. No shame in their declaration of loyalty and commitment. Some of them even celebrate that even…again, hold your breath here, cause its so shocking…in a church! They even may invite others to join them in celebrating their love and affection for each other. What hypocrisy! The sheer idolatry of bringing another love into the sacred place of worship for God only. And to celebrate something that is so clearly filled with gaps, problems, and failure.
You would be technically correct to remind me that my spouse is not perfect. That historically, for over 40 years, there are failures and weaknesses that she has exhibited. You would be even more correct if you mentioned that I have roughly ten times more of those same issues. And wow, what about what happened before we were married? We could drudge up a lot of shame and guilt requiring books of apologies and pleas for forgiveness. So why would we celebrate such a problematic union?
Are we living in denial? Have we mixed our love for God and love for one another so much as to have become idolaters, because we’re celebrating our special day? Well, it’s possible. And maybe we have put our marriage – our children, our livelihood, our selves – ahead of love for God at times. It happens, we’re human. But the point of this celebration is to recognize His grace in our journey – we made it THIS far, and haven’t quite yet! – and to rededicate to our fidelity for the future journey ahead.
So, we stop and celebrate the good, the blessings, the strivings, the rewards, and the joys of a very blessed-by-God union. Not a perfect union. Not a problem free union. Not a union that has no more work to be done, or that we never hurt one another, or anyone else. But a union that has sought, imperfectly, to love, to grow, to get better, and to stay loyal to the end. We even may invite others to join with us in this moment. We might even say a prayer, thanking God for His role in all of this. With deep gratitude to say, whatever good has happened here, it has its origin in Him. We might even sing a song recognizing these things, though our family isn’t big into singing together, and we’d all be looking at each other wondering why we were suddenly singing.
So yes, celebrating the love for your country, this Union we live in called the United States of America – in a church – for the blessings you have benefited from by living here, on the anniversary of the founding of this Union, is not loving the Union more than Jesus. Its not inherently thinking Jesus and “’Merica” are the same thing. We might get them confused at times, but I don’t have to be the judge any of that. I don’t need to ask you to remember all the difficulties, problems, injustices, and wrongs that have been part of our history, to qualify and caveat my love for the Union, so as to not cause grave concern that I may be worshiping this country. I’m not thinking the US is perfect when I thank God for the blessings of living here.
I have been in about 50 different countries, and I think in most every one of them, there was some level of national pride among the Christians I met there. They didn’t confuse love for country with loving Jesus. But they do find things to be grateful for in their national and ethnic heritage. And I’m glad they can and do.
Interestingly, many of the people I know would have been interested to claim the US as their home country if offered the opportunity. So, while this Union is clearly not perfect, it’s still a place a lot of people long to belong and be part of. Just like people can look at a lifelong marriage, and hope for that for themselves.
I’m proud to be called “American”. I know its not a perfect Union. And my loyalty to country is not deeper than my loyalty to Jesus, where I find my ultimate citizenship and identity. So, I’m more interested if someone would say, he’s a real Christian. But I can still be grateful, I can pray that God would use this Union to make the world, and this part called the USA, a better place for others. And maybe even sing a song about it, in a church!
God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies
To the oceans white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home.
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