Our world is increasingly becoming more polarized. It seems like it has become hard to have a respectful conversation about important issues with anyone, let alone someone with whom you disagree.
Patriotism is one of the topics that we, as a society and as the Church, can instantly become divided on before hearing each other out. So, please bear with me as I seek to write something that is helpful, true, and biblical, and know that I am open to feedback and honest conversations.
I would like to begin by defining a few terms. I recently watched Trinity Forum’s “The Challenge of Christian Nationalism”, an online conversation with Dr. Mark Noll and Dr. Vincent Bacote. I found their definitions to be helpful on the difference between responsible Christian patriotism and Christian nationalism: “Responsible Christian patriotism is a value of people who love their country but realize that God’s standards of right and wrong must apply not only to their own country, but to all countries around the world as well. They view Christianity as a service to the nation. Christian nationalism, however, is a value of people who love their country, right or wrong, and refuse to allow any criticism of its history. They view Christianity as a servant of the nation.”
This brings me back to the polarization of our society. When I think of patriotism, I feel the tension between loving my country while also seeing the blatant truth about the sins of our past and present. Can I not hold both? If I criticize America, does that mean I hate America?
As believers, it should not surprise us that sin is a part of our nation’s story. Does that mean that we denounce the rich heritage of faith we’ve seen in America? A great deal of good has been accomplished by Christian people both in our country and in the world at large. Of course it has. Surely we should see our lives and our nation through the lens of the gospel--which, if we remember, begins with admitting our sin. It should not surprise us that sin happens on both personal and national levels. As a nation, we have a dark, dehumanizing past and a beginning of freedom fused with bondage that we don’t like to dwell on. Most of our founding fathers were universalist unitarians and deists. We have both good and evil in our story and telling the truth is vital.
It is also important to realize that the work of God in people’s hearts happens regardless of where they live and that the gospel is not American. The faithfulness of God, the blessing of God’s presence, and the gift of the Church are bestowed on us not because we are American and we’re special, but because we believe in the saving work of Jesus on the cross. Period.
Many of us feel threatened by the secularization of society, and I understand that. I am in agreement that Christian values are in opposition to much of what happens in our nation today. I just believe that this is how it’s always been. The notion of “the good ole’ days” is false to its core. Do we really want to go back to lynchings terrorizing our nation or a world in which a 6-year old Ruby Bridges (who is alive today and only 66 years old) can’t walk into school without federal marshal escorts and profanities being screamed at her? I’m also really happy I can open my own bank account, which women couldn’t do until 1960. I think the fact that I grew up in Oklahoma and went to public school but never heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre until I graduated college shows how quick we are to cover up deep tragedies of our past. As John 3:19-21 says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
If you’re interested in some great content to dive into secularism, post-Christian culture, and the way of Jesus, I have loved listening to the podcast This Cultural Moment (specifically the Portland sessions and “The Myth of the West’s Long, Slow, Inevitable Descent into Secularism”). One of my favorite Bible Project videos called “The Way of Exile” is about the Israelites living in exile and how the way of Jesus is to live in the world with the tension of loyalty and subversion. Peter reminds us that as believers we are “foreigners and exiles”. (1 Peter 2:11) This means that we are called to respect the authority of wherever we happen to live and to honor and love all people, while also keeping at the forefront of our mind that this world is not our true home and our values will constantly be in opposition to the world. The video talks about how human institutions since the beginning of time have been allegiant to its idolatrous redefinitions of good and evil, but as believers we are allegiant to a kingdom that is to come and unlike any kingdom we’ve seen in the world.
As Christians, our primary identity is in Christ as our Savior. Our lives are simultaneously grounded in the reality, love, and peace of Christ while propelled into service of our neighbor. It is good for believers around the world to wrestle with living out their faith in the public square while also recognizing the limitations of ethics in human politics and structures. It is important to have a public, Christian witness of integrity and genuine care for our neighbor and to be known for the ways in which we seek the good of our communities (Jeremiah 29:7,1 Peter 2:12, Matthew 22:39). Christians throughout the world have done this in incredible ways while also subverting authority that is in stark contrast to their biblical values. (I automatically think of Rosa Parks and Corrie Ten Boom.)
The challenge at hand is not to elevate or idolize our citizenship, but to view it through an eternal perspective. When done so, we see clearly that our world, our country, and our hearts are broken and sinful but the gospel truth is that Jesus met us in our sin and humanity and laid down his life and saved us anyway. After all, “God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God’s kingdom is alive and full of goodness, light, forgiveness, grace, justice, peace, conviction, and love. That kingdom is available to us all when we confess our sin and place our hope in Christ. Therein lies our true freedom.
Meet the Author!
Makenzie graduated from Wheaton College where she majored in Christian Ministry, Urban Studies, and Photography and somehow managed to apply all of her degrees to work in the real world! She has a passion for community development after years working in urban ministry in Chicago, non-profits in Austin, and has been on staff at CRBC since 2012. She loves being able to equip and serve the church through her role as Minister of Missions at CRBC which includes both local and global partnerships. Despite being the missions minister, she is quite the homebody. She is an avid Harry Potter fan, loves Oklahoma City, and is happiest when surrounded by friends, family, and her ADORABLE weenie dog, May.