Be a patriot and a Christian but know the difference. . .

I consider myself a patriotic American.  I am jealous about the good name and noble virtue of American exceptionalism in the world.  I am humbled by the faithful folk who have stood guard against our enemies and whose blood was shed on battlefields far and near for the sake of this nation.  I am in awe of this thing called freedom which we value so highly.   I still shudder when the guns of a military salute go off and tears well up in my eyes at the funerals of veterans when a soldier gets down on one knee and presents the flag to the bereaved on behalf of a grateful nation.  But there is no American flag inside the church nor should there be.  The confusion of national loyalty and religious fervor is dangerous to both.

It is at terrible error to presume God's loyalty to a people or a land and to interweave faith and patriotism.  The resulting fabric will not be faithful to either cause when we assume that God is one of us (Americans or any other nation and people) and ours the only righteous land and citizenry in the world.  This fabric is not sturdy enough to weave the two together and it will surely tear unless we are wise.  We do not do our nation or our faith any good by beating our chests and proclaiming God in our hip pocket.

If you are a patriotic American, pray for the our President, the members of Congress, your Governor, state legislature, judges, magistrates, mayors, and all levels of civil servants both elected and appointed.  Do not pray for those you like or those with whom you agree but for all manner of men.  Pray for wisdom to overflow for all, for your own faithfulness as citizen as well as theirs as leaders, for those who battle to defend us and those who send them into battle, for those who keep the peace and those who are called to live in peace.  We cannot afford to be without people of truth and integrity, who love justice, who act mercifully, and who carry the solemn mantle of public service humbly.  It helps no cause to constantly belittle and speak ill of our leaders and it will certainly guarantee that we get precisely the kind of leaders we deserve for speaking against them with such vitriol.  How will we ever convince those of good repute and noble character to run and serve the public good with all our bitterness and contempt of politics?

If you are a patriotic American, then render unto Caesar the things that are his as your civil, patriotic, and solemn duty.  Don't cheat on your income taxes and call it the great national sport.  Don't sit at home while others cast their ballots for people, initiatives, and referendums.  Don't be a silent minority or majority but engage the issues, causes, and conversations of the public square, guided by principle and faith as well.  Don't refuse to speak circumspectly or to act virtuously but show forth good citizenship as best you can until and unless to do so would violate God's law.

If you are patriotic American, then teach your children our history -- the good and the bad -- and urge them to give nothing less than their best for the cause of liberty, the rule of good law, and the common good.  Teach your children the sacrifices of those who went before them on lonely beachhead, in jungle heat, on thunderous wave, and cloudy sky to protect, preserve, and defend our freedom.  Teach your children not to squander this legacy of liberty in the pursuit of selfish endeavor or to justify lustful desire but to pursue it with honor, integrity, and virtue.  Teach your children to honor the flag without confusing flag and cross and thereby diminishing both.  Teach your children how the government works and prepare them for their own time when they must pass the torch to their own sons and daughters.

If you are a patriotic American, cheer on the defense of the defenseless, the protection of the vulnerable, the cause of the unborn, the aged, and the infirm, and challenge oppression, hatred, and bigotry in all its forms.  Honor life as precious gift and not as the prerogative of  rich, the powerful, or those who intimidate.  Refuse to allow life to be valued by the almighty dollar, the parade of accomplishments, or how productive one can be.  Protect rights without dismantling morality or diminishing virtue or surrendering right to wrong, goodness to evil.  Be honored that more want to come and enjoy the precious liberty we so easily take for granted.  The rule and respect of law should be demanded of both citizen and those who want to be but unjust laws serve no good for no people.  We are a nation of immigrants, this is true, but of immigrants who have shared a common vision of liberty, a common commitment to shared values (of morality, family, and work), and a willingness to live together in peace (even when we disagree).  The freedom we have allows us not the right to be me at any cost but the right to use our freedom for noble purpose and for the cause of virtue or else people will have died for a country of selfish brats.  Our liberty allows us to speak without fear of a police state but it presumes that we will not waste this freedom on self-indulgent postings sometimes mistaken for social media.  I do not think that our nation's first soldiers fought and died for the cause of a meme.

Why do we think freedom simply means everyone has a right to my opinion?  Why do we speak without the need to listen?  Why is it so easy for us to believe the world revolves around me?  Why do we cover our political opinions with religious sounding words and act like our faith needs might to make a difference?  Why are we more comfortable with an American flag than a crucifix in our worship spaces?  We taint both kingdoms by elevating patriotism over faith just as we do the same by presuming God has called us to build earthly kingdoms instead of announcing the heavenly one.  People of good will and common sense have the power to help on the political front but their cause is aided best when we pray on their behalf and do not muddy the waters by presuming Jesus wears either a national identity or a denominational label.  God is not an American but live your life and profess your faith so that your patriotism will not diminish your faith and your faith will ennoble your vocation and life as citizen.  In this way, both will be honored.  I know that there will be those who might take offense at what I have written but a patriot is more than someone who waves the flag a couple of times a year.