There was a time when singing the National Anthem carried with it a sense of reverence and made the sentimental among us misty eyed.  On the Sunday before the fourth of July, it was common for churches to weave patriotic songs and historical readings into the liturgy.  Nothing felt incongruent about conflating God and country. References to God and his plan were weaved into those great melodies about America, right along with our allegiance to Christ. 

America the Beautiful, inspired by a view from the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado by Katherine Bates in 1959 says, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.”  It also says, “God mend thy every flaw, confirm thy soul in self control, they liberty in law.” Then of course there is “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on.” 

Not a word of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” mentions America but no one from my generation can sing it without thinking about a love of God and love of country simultaneously.  We could go on in this vein for pages but this is a blog not a book. You get my point that for a very long time love of country and the worship of God occupied the same psychic space for many Amercans. 

Have you noticed that Patriotism is being treated with suspicion in the culture at large and I would even say held at arm’s length by the Christian Church.  To list all the reasons for why love of the nation has been uncoupled from feeling of Divine gratitude would be lengthy, but a few of the reasons are…

• Some of us who Shepherd the church have are resisting the way some have made an idol out of the nation.

For example, I have a problem when America the Beautiful goes as far as to connect the Holy City described in the book of Revelation with cities in America when it speaks of “alabaster cities undimmed by human tears.”  There’s only one “alabaster city, undimmed by human tears, ” and it’s in a kingdom yet to come.  I have also heard God’s people sound as if a declining America was the same as a defeated “Christian Church.” But there’s more to the decoupling of worship with patriotism than just this.

• Western Imperialism is being blamed for global poverty and oppressions.

I don’t accept the breadth of this claim but while admitting my limited knowledge on the subject have no doubt that America has been the proverbial “elephant at the dance” in many foreign countries. 

• The current message of the postmodernist is that American history is almost entirely a shameful record of racism, misogyny and xenophobia engineered by a male white patriarchy.

Unpacking that would be a long discussion and I’ll spare you but, personally do you want to be defined by your sins.  I suspect that you have a lot more right than wrong and the same is true of your country. Also, as Paul pointed out to the Corinthians, when they disciplined an immoral man as recorded in first and second Corinthians, penance can go too far.  2 Corinthians 2:6-8 (MSG) What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough.  Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it.   My counsel now is to pour on the love.”  

I think it’s time to love our country and our God in the same breadth.  To conflate God and country would be idolatry, but to ignore God’s providence and provision in our country is ungratefulness.  First of all, God loves nations, has plans for nations and not once in scripture does he indicate he plans to eradicate national boundaries for a global utopia..  Secondly, there is a lot to give praise to God for when thinking of this nation.

• We still have the greatest freedom to worship of any nation in the world.
• The United States government leads the world in humanitarian aid by a wide margin. 
• American individuals gave 410 Billion Dollars to charitable causes in 2017. 
• Only seven countries in the world have more people volunteering their time to help others than the USA.
• We have welcomed more immigrants and refugees than any nation in the world.
• We are the longest thriving democracy in the history of the human race. 
• We are among the least racist countries in the world and some would argue the very least. 
• Up until recent times we have been the model of free expression and speech in the world.
• Our historical landscape has been dotted with spiritual revivals not bloody revolutions
• The only internal revolution we’ve had was the Civil War and the end result was the abolition of slavery. 

If you’ve joined the chorus of those who are basically saying, abolish the nation, you aren’t in harmony with scripture, for here is what the scripture says about the culmination of all things in Revelation 22:2, “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”  Tell me, if God’s plan in the end is to heal our nation, how can you in good conscience not worship him when you sing, “My Country Tis of thee?” Hatred of Country is just as wrong headed as making a deity of it.

 So this week, when you fire up the grill, gather the family around and watch the fireworks, it’s appropriate to “praise God from whom all blessings flow,” and thank God you are an American.