Tomorrow at 8AM I will be leaving from Mount Vernon, Ohio and going to a city I have never been to. If you know me very well at all or if you've read some of my posts you have probably picked up on the fact that I am not a very patriotic person. Actually I am not patriotic at all. I am not sure what in my life changed me from the kid saying the Pledge of Allegiance and playing patriotic songs one note at a time on the piano, but I have come to believe that patriotism for me isn't compatible with my faith in Christ. I think at first it was my coming to understand that following Jesus is leaving violence. Because of this the militarism of the U.S. (though the people in the military have good motives and many are people of faith) gradually made me question what my loyalties as a Christian were to the nation I live in is. I have come to see myself as a citizen of the Kingdom of God and though I owe a certain amount of respect to those in authority over me and should do my best to obey their laws as long as they do not hinder my faith, I am no longer a citizen of this world and just can not muster feelings of patriotism anymore and actually feel a lot of tension when it comes to the U.S.
So it will be interesting being in the capital this spring break. I am looking forward to serving the church that we will be going to and whatever ministering that they have planned for us to do. But the fusion of quasi-Christianity and Nationalism will be frustrating to me.
4 comments:
I love the Bengals even though they always lose. I love my country even though it is flawed. And neither of these loves prevent me from loving Christ.
My patriotism is not the exclusion of Christ, nor the rejection of the Kingdom of God. I believe that true love of country seeks to bring the ideals of the Kingdom of God to it.
I hope you discover a new love for America on your trip... It really is a special nation among the history of the world. That sounds cliche'd, but I believe it is true... And I hope that you discover a love that leads you to help change her, not reject her.
Hey Heath,
I hope I did not offend you; that wasn't my intent. I do have a love for the people of the US and I have a certain sentemental feelings toward the geographical boundaries that are considered the US. I still think thought that even though the US might be a better form of a kingdom of the world than other nations it is still a kingdom of the world and its my tendency to be skeptical of it.
On another note the Holocaust museum was pretty cool.
ala Tony Campollo? She may be the best Babylon out there, but she is still a Babylon...
I am not arguing that point.
But maybe we have a different idea of what patriotism is? Because I do not see a conflict between patriotism and submission to God. In fact, I believe patriotism in the USA is best expressed by those who are submitted to God. It is not a love of country as a substitute for loving God but as a response to God's love. That is perhaps the point I was fumbling to make earlier...
Its possible its Tony Compolo, though I think I read it in Jesus for President.
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