Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Truth be told, for a long time, I was indifferent to the possibility of Christian patriotism. The Christian should be careful that they don’t allow any “ism” to amend their core allegiance and affection. Many temptations for witness dilution exist: consumerism, individualism, hedonism, progressivism, etc.
Daniel Darling, in his very helpful book In Defence of Christian Patriotism, argues that we in America are living through a “crisis of ingratitude.” It has become too easy to quickly dismiss the blessings God has provided in this country when our very ability to offer criticisms of the nation are enabled by those blessings. We’ve seen this in recent weeks as the world has come to visit our backyard: The citizens of the world have arrived for the World Cup and they have gone viral many times over celebrating even the most mundane parts of life in America.
Darling, relying on Saint Augustine, defines patriotism as: “love of country manifested in loyalty, service, and giving honor to one's country." It is “an expression of rightly ordered love and commitment to the place where God has placed us." Darling is not only relying on the great saint here, but also the prophet Jeremiah.
As I mentioned in our call to worship last Sunday, the prophet Jeremiah exhorts God’s people to: “…seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jer. 29:7) In this, our nation’s 250th year, it is good to give thanks for what God has provided in our country. It is good to seek its welfare. It is good to intercede on its behalf.
This is not our home. America is not heaven. But, it is a country that has consistently aimed to live up to its founding ideals, many of which are explicitly rooted or implicitly shaped by the Christian worldview. I am grateful to be a citizen of this country. I hope you are too. For thanksgiving is the right and proper response to the gift of blessing.
May our gratitude lead us to a living faith in Christ our Lord that empowers us to:
As a citizen of a kingdom with no end, with a fundamental allegiance to the Lord of lords and King of kings, I give thanks, hope, and pray that God might pour out his blessing upon these lands.
In Christ, for good, forever.
