PATRIOTISM: CHRISTIAN LOVE? THANKFULNESS TO GOD? IDOLATRY TO CAESAR? SOME OF EACH?

 

At Kingdom Come Festival, June 17, Howard County Vietnam Veterans Healing Fields, Greentown, IN

Is it appropriate for a Christian event to start with a pledge to the American flag?

This was the question raised by a commenter to a post on the Kingdom Come Festival's FB page, which I read a day or two before going to this year's Festival. 

The point was echoed from a blog shared by the Libertarian Christian Institute, "Should Christians Cite The Pledge of Allegiance?" by Laurence Vance. Vance points out how we lead the world in many dubious categories including incarcaration, illegal and legal drug use, and rapes. (At least in abortions we're in second place to Russia.) He concludes that this reality makes it a lie for Christians to say the pledge.

Of course, there are those who say that a Christian should be patriotic. Allow me to add wrinkles to that theory. Should a Christian in Nazi Germany or in Communist China or in Islamic Iran be patriotic to their countries as we are encouraged to be here? For those here, should we be equally supportive to both former President Trump and current President Biden? Could it be that we're inconsistent on what patriotism looks like based on our biases?

Statism is a real problem. I recommend these two books on the subject (I'm including links to my reviews on those books): Caesar and the Church: A Biblical Study of Government and Church by Anthony Forsyth and the Libertarian Christian Institute's Faith Seeking Freedom: Libertarian Answers to Tough Questions. I've seen church services where all the songs sung were patriotic, and special music consisting of a singing (or playing) of the themes for the different branches of the military, and heard a Memorial Day sermon which attempted to justify our American Holiday from Scripture. Could Statism be leavening our church services?

However, are these examples of statism? Is there a positive reason for Christians to say the pledge in a church service or have an American flag on the platform? 

I started this blog with a question about the Kingdom Come Festival's starting with a pledge. But how was that question answered? The person representing the festival, among other things, pointed out that it was being held at the Howard County Vietnam Veterans Grounds. In other words, the Festival organizers wanted to honor their hosts. Could our patriotism be out of love for those around us who love our country? Furthermore, may it reflect a heart of Thanksgiving for us being in a nation where we have freedom to call out our country when it sins? Some Patriotism may have a statist mindset, but not all; quite possibly, not most.

Also, it is true that every nation fits into one of two categories: 1) An enemy of the faith and the Gospel and 2) A potential enemy of the faith and the Gospel. Ours included. We may think the other side of the aisle is antagonistic to Christianity, but is our side of the aisle completely in line? Do we tolerate either racism or abortion? Are both oppression of the poor and the LGBTQ+ lifestyle correctly seen as condemned by God? We need to remember we're Christians first, and our allegiance is to Christ, not our nation; that our kinsmen are not the unbeliever in our nation but the believers in all nations.

Yet God commanded us to honor all men and to honor the King (1 Pet. 2:17). The Bible states that to resist the authority God appointed is to resist His ordinances and to bring judgment on us. When we are questioning whether a Christian should say the pledge in church or have a flag on the platform, is it because we rightly see Christ as our sovereign, or is it a rebellious heart that does not want to submit to others? One is good, the other no where close.

Let me close by reminding us we need to be loving to those around us. That love may be in saying the pledge with the rest of the congregation with a thankful heart, and it may be in listening to those who have problems with our nation.

Okay, one final paragraph. I'm grateful to be here, and show it by praying for those God appointed over me, regardless of party. And wishing you all a Happy Independence Day.

BOOK REVIEW - INCLUDING THE STRANGER: FOREIGNERS IN THE EARLY PROPHETS

 Is Yahweh, the God of the Bible, a vengeful, violent despot who despises the majority of mankind? Or is inclusion or exclusion of individuals based not on ethnicity but on whether they follow and submit to Yahweh?

David Firth deals with this issue in Including The Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets, part of the New Studies In Biblical Theology series.  His view is that foreigners who are obedient to Yahweh are included with His people, such as Rahab, the Gibeonites, and Namaan (and theorizes that Caleb the son of Jephuneh, the Kenazite, was not Jewish). Likewise,  Israelites who are disobedient are treated as foreigners (e.g. Achan) and sometimes Israelites are treated like foreigners by fellow-Israelites (such as the virgin girls kidnapped by the Benjaminites).

Some may wonder what is meant by "The Former Prophets." The OT canon we normally use are divided into the Law, the Historical Books, the Poetic Books, and the Prophetic books, sub-divided by the major and minor prophets (designated not by importance but by book length). However, the Jewish canon divides those same books into the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (often referred to as Psalms, which is the first book of that section), with the Prophets divided by Early prophets and later prophets. The Early Prophets include Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the Jews did not divide the books of Samuel and Kings).

This is the seventh book I've read in this series. Some books are ones that inspire me; others are ones that leave me more knowledgeable on the subject dealt with. Personally, I would consider this one of the latter. I feel richer intellectually for reading this, but it hasn't really effected my daily life like some of the others did.