“Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.” - James Bryce (I believe he was a British jurist, historian and politician.)
[Please, as always, take the time to watch today's broadcast of "The Coral Ridge Hour" (5 pm, ch. 55.1 in Orlando)As we Americans again celebrate our nation’s founding on July 4th, I was struck by a Mennonite college saying recently that it would no longer be playing “The Star Spangled Banner” at its athletic events “…because of our Christ-centered core value of compassionate peacemaking seeming to be in conflict with the anthem’s militaristic language.” The following is the first verse (of the original 4) that we are most familiar with:
"O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
Of course, the school and the Mennnonite Church for that matter, has every right to live out their definition of their Christian faith as they define it. That is what freedom of religion in this country is all about. However, this incident does make me wonder how many of us who first learned this song in grade school (but who rarely seem to sing it out loud any more) really understand the story behind this anthem. (For a full background of the writing of the poem, I refer you to - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner) Suffice it to say that it was written as the writer stood as a prisoner on an enemy ship watching the flag still flying over an American fort after it had been heavily bombarded. We can only imagine the assurance it gave this American that our then recently birthed country was able to withstand the onslaught of enemies from without. In this day when our nation faces grave threats – from terrorists and enemies abroad as well as those home-grown of all kinds, as well as an economy struggling in a way unfamiliar to most of us – we would all do well to reflect on the confidence in our nation presented in the words of our national anthem.
As we do this, I wonder though how many are aware (as I learned only recently) that the last two lines of the first verse end, not in a triumphant tone as it is usually sung with, but with a question. In essence, it asks “Do we still live in a country that is “free, and the home of the brave?” CAN IT STILL BE SO,as we allow our federal government to assume more and more say over how we live our lives (even to where in 2014 we will only be able to buy the kind of light bulbs the government says is okay?!!); as we become so dependent on our government that our seniors will panic that “we are throwing grandma over the cliff” if we talk of simply beginning to make incremental changes in the ponzi scheme known as Social Security? CAN WE BE AS FREE, if our Courts continue to refuse to define our most defenseless - the unborn - as a person to be protected and as our representatives pass laws defining certain speech as “hate speech” that is punishable by fine or jail time?
On this Fourth of July, I think of my late childhood friend Milton Ho, who struggled with a lot in his life, among them serving in the Vietnam War, something I never did. I’m ashamed to say that it was only upon his sudden death a number of years ago that I began to reflect upon what he possibly endured during not only those times on the battlefield but just going through boot camp. (Milton was not the most physically endowed nor mentally astute (I don’t mean that in a disparaging way, believe me) and so that time alone had to be grueling. Milton never talked about what he experienced and I never even thought to ask him once out of concern for what he went through. He served our country as so many millions have over the years, never getting the thanks and recognition that was due him. It still breaks my heart every time I think of him once slipping me a $5 bill which he said was to help me with my financial support needs to to full-time ministry. I tried to refuse to take his humble offering (he struggled to make ends meet) but he insisted. I will always regret that I did not put that bill in a special box of rememberance. I have asked the Lord to let me get a chance to meet up with Milton in Heaven to be able to give him that big hug and speak the words of appreciation to him that I never did, to my great shame.
As I think of the sacrifices of the many like Milton who have and continue each day to serve our country in battle, I can only wonder if we do not do a great disservice to their efforts by not caring enough for this country they so bravely fought for by choosing to withdraw from any discussion of things “political.” We Christians especially are so prone to think of politics only in terms of those who corrupt and shame the process by their actions that we forfeit staying informed and being involved in the struggle to keep this “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” So many of us consider ourselves too spiritual to stay on top of the issues that threaten the foundations (such as of marriage and the sanctity of life -abortion (and EMBRYONIC stem cell research) and euthanasia), to remain so ignorant of where our political leaders stand (based on their actions and non-actions) that we will blindly support those who say the right things at election time because they “sound so smart” or because they represent something that is “different, new, and even historic.” I believe we get bad leaders when we fail to scrutinize them and that the resultant policies and nation are an affront to the sacrifices our men and women in the armed services make for us each day.
And so, what will it be, my fellow Americans?
Does the flag that we see waving symbolize (and will continue to in the future) a nation with a firm foundation (in social and economic values that are Biblically sound) OR one that will continue to drift in the wrong direction as the latest polls have said 2/3 of Americans now believe is happening?
Will we stand before our God one day and have to explain how we allowed this country He has so blessed and given as citizens to be stewards (a very Biblical concept) to be debased and “thrown into the ash heap of history?”
My fellow citizens, it’s time that we stopped asking “God Bless America.” Hasn’t He done that beyond even Founders greatest hopes? Is it not time to say, as the bumper sticker on my car says, “America Bless God?”
(Note: I plan to write and post one defining Christian citizenship in more detail some time soon.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment