There is much ongoing debate about the sociopolitical direction of the United States and its relationship to Christianity. I will not be addressing the historical context here - or popular political issues of the day. Rather, I have given a lot of thought as to the proper perspective that Christians ought to have when it comes to the nation. To a large degree, these observations will apply to believers in any country, but I will be specifically addressing the relationship of American Christians to America, drawing conclusions from scripture.
First and foremost is the issue of what we focus on. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are members of God's Royal Family.
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ," Rom 8:16-17
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" Phil 3:19
If we are citizens of heaven, which lasts forever, we ought to consider that our primary citizenship over that of earthly nations, which will soon pass away. Paul contrasts our citizenship with the unsaved, whose minds are on earthly things.
"Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things." Phil 3:19
Since we are citizens of an eternal Kingdom, we are God's ambassadors to earth.
"So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us." 2 Cor 5:20
This is our primary purpose in being on Earth. As has been said, "The main thing is to make sure the main thing remains the main thing." Again, setting our minds on earthly things is the practice of the lost.
Not only are we Christ's ambassadors, we are also soldiers under the command of our great Captain. We are not soldiers against political parties or mere earthly powers. Rather, we are in a battle against unseen spiritual powers.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph 6:12
"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." 2 Tim 2:4
Sadly, many believers have forgotten their heavenly citizenship and the reasons they are here on Earth. Jesus tells us:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness" Matt 6:33a
Secondly, we must acknowledge that we live a dual existence: we have a temporary earthly citizenship in addition to our permanent heavenly citizenship. In a sense, we have a dual citizenship, thus we have two sets of responsibilities. And we had better live up to both. But, especially in countries other than America, these two may be in conflict. Where there is a conflict between the two, our heavenly responsibilities must take precedence. However, earthly powers do not like other things to contradict their desires, so the believer may experience persecution living according to our first, and primary, citizenship. In such places, the point of conflict is quite clear. However, in America there seems to be some confusion. Our example comes from Jesus and the early church. When brought before the authorities, the disciples made a clear statement:
"Peter and the other apostles replied: 'We must obey God rather than human beings!'" Acts 5:29
This was in response to being told that they shouldn't tell others about Jesus. This was a direct contradiction to Jesus' commands. So, when we are told to do something in contradiction to what we've been clearly commanded to do, God's commands always take precedence. Regardless of the cost to us.
But some people of unstable mind have confused this concept. In their minds, if the government isn't doing "the Christian thing" they feel they have the right to break the law. The early church understood that the only point of conflict is when the earthly authorities demanded that the believers do something contrary to God's commands. The church went out of their way to avoid unnecessary conflict. There was no effort to start a political revolution, lobby for legal reforms, or create charity NGOs. In fact, the only charity recorded in the early church was charity to other believers. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with general charities (quite the opposite), but one should recognize the focus in the early church was on preaching to unbelievers and taking care of believers. The difference may seem subtle, but it isn't. Conflict with the government was only if the individual believer was commanded not to do what God told that believer what to do. Other than that, believers were to bend over backwards to not offend.
"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Heb 12:14
"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1 Cor 9:19-23
Because Paul's first priority was spreading the gospel, he made every effort to conform to the culture he found himself in so that there would be no artificial barriers to people accepting the gospel. How many modern Christians have failed in this respect because their politics are more important than the gospel? In so doing, they have failed in their primary purpose here on earth. They are wheat stalks producing no grain.
Some might ask, but doesn't having the first amendment make it okay for me to speak my political opinion? Yes, it recognizes your legal right to speak your mind on anything. However, should we not be more concerned with using such freedom to spread the gospel than with using it to spread our politics? The issue is a matter of focus. What you speak of most is what is most on your heart. Is it the gospel? Where is your focus? As Jesus said, "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matt 12:37
I find that very convicting.
Some people have completely lost connection with our Head, which is Jesus Christ. They believe that they are allowed to break the laws of the land to accomplish their "Christian" or "moral" goals. Some even think that they are allowed to rise up in rebellion. Or they support those who do such things. Ignoring the aforementioned goals of making every effort to live in peace with everyone, there is one other important reason why such behaviors are condemned in the Bible.
Thirdly, let us acknowledge the reality of God's sovereignty. He is in charge. Nothing is outside of His control. Why, then, do bad things happen? Because God allows them to happen. And why?
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Rom 8:28
In other words, even the bad things that happen are used by God to work good. We may not see it now, but we see very little from our limited human perspective. Again, Paul says
"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." – Eph 1:11
We again see that God works all things according to His ultimate will. And there is nothing that man can do to change that. As the proverbs say,
"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD." Proverbs 21:31
We humans do all that we can to bring our plans to fruition, but unless God permits it, it will all come to naught. This issue of God's ultimate will has profound implications for how we live. Consider:
"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Acts 20:17
That means that God already decided as to the time and place of the countries in the world, including America. It also implies that you were born into a country for a specific purpose. It wasn't random. God may call you to go to another place, such as a missionary. But every American was born in America for God's purposes for the country and the world. And each individual should - in general - remain where he is when he is saved. We will come back to this later. What are the ramifications of God's sovereignty?
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Rom 13:1
"The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will." – Proverbs 21:1
"It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another." - Psalm 75:7
Thus Biblical teaching is that those who rebel against authority rebel against God Himself. There are no exceptions stated, no moral qualifications for the authority, no mitigating circumstances. Remember that Paul is talking to people under the authority of corrupt, idolatrous pagans. Their tax money went to build temples to false Gods. Within Paul's lifetime, that same authority would become outright hostile to Christians. Yet they were to be subject to it. All modern excuses for rebellion are simply ways for people to feel better about being rebellious against God.
I have often wondered about the founding of America itself, given that it was done as a rebellion against the authority of England. And yet it was accompanied by the most unlikely series of events which, though individually could be understood as coincidence or luck, together seem explicable only as the Hand of Providence. However a thorough historical analysis of that period would require hundreds of pages and so I will leave that to others. Whatever the beginnings, however, these were before the time even of our great grandparents. We live under the current state of things and the scripture is plain. I will note two consequences of America's origins which make up part of the DNA of our society even today: distrust of those in authority, and a rebellious nature. The first is reasonable and even laudable given the fallen nature of man. The second is contrary to Biblical teaching.
But perhaps we need to take a moment to consider the nature of the authority under which, by the foreknowledge and will of God, we were born. The first authority is the Declaration of Independence which indicates the charter of the nation. It contains both positive and negative points: the positive being that God has given us rights and the purpose of government is to protect those rights. The negative being the actions of England that precipitated the founding of the new nation. Since these are the stated purposes both for a valid government and against the wrongful actions of one, it follows that any law or constitution must abide by this charter, following the positive points and avoiding the negative ones. Though not considered a "legal" document, it is nonetheless the bedrock of any legal documents which follow. In fact, such documents can only be understood in light of the Declaration.
The Constitution of the United States is a legal document that primarily defines the structure of the country's federal government. Note that the term "state" was intentional. Each state was considered a separate political entity rather than a division of another government. We still use the word in such terms as "a failed state" - indicating a country without a viable government. Each of the states making up the union are essentially their own nation. That is why the we live under a federal government - not a national government. Via the constitution, the states have voluntarily ceded certain powers to the federal government. Among those powers are the power to regulate commerce with other states, to print currency, to declare war, and to regulate foreign trade. Unlike states in the union, counties in a state are subdivisions of the state government and have no powers other than those granted by the state government. Each state has its own constitution which defines the details of how that state government operates. The states did not become states in the union until they had drafted a constitution. Likewise, the current federal government did not exist until the constitution created it.
Because the state and federal governments were created (and, thus, given power) by their respective constitutions, that means that they have no legal or moral power which falls outside of those constitutions. Therefore the governing authority, from a Biblical perspective, is those constitutions. Understanding this is the key to curing the confusion some have about the authority of our government. We live under the authority of the governor, legislature, and courts of the state in which we reside. Those institutions operate with the authority and powers granted them by the state constitution. However, the "supremacy clause" in the federal constitution indicates that federal law supersedes state laws, where those laws conflict (and only where they conflict). In turn the federal courts, congress, and the president all operate under the authority and powers granted them by the federal constitution. Finally, everyone on the planet owes ultimate allegiance to God, though most are in sinful rebellion. We are only allowed to disobey worldly rulers when they tell us to disobey God. And only then.
As we have no obligation to obey laws that try to prevent us from living in obedience to God, we have no obligation to live by laws that exercise power not granted to those who try to enforce them. For instance, if the governor of a state were to tell his people to raise arms against the federal government, he would exceed his lawful authority since the laws of the federal government are above the state as the authority of God is above the federal government. Likewise, congress cannot lawfully pass a law that contravenes, or exceeds, the limits set by the constitution. So, one could view it as a hierarchy of authority with God at the top, and local law at the bottom. So long as no lower authority requires you to rebel against a higher authority, you are bound to obey that authority no matter how much you disagree with it, no matter how offensive you find it, and no matter how stupid it may be.
And here I want to make myself very clear, because there are some that think that because the government is corrupt or evil that they have an excuse (or even a duty) to rebel against it. The only excuse you have to rebel against the authority you live under is when that authority specifically requires of you - as an individual - to disobey the clear direction of God. You do not get to decide that because (to your mind) it treats others in a way that you disagree with that you are excused to act contrary to the law. We do not get a "free pass" simply because the government does something you dislike - no matter how righteous your cause. You are to live at peace until the point you are required to make a choice between obeying the authorities and obeying God. And you had better be crystal clear with your thinking and with your understanding of scripture, lest you find yourself rebelling against God.
Fortunately for those of us in America, we have the right to speak out against things we disagree with. Even more, we have the ability to influence the government by peaceful protests, lobbying our representatives, and (most importantly) voting for those that we think will more faithfully operate under the powers granted to them and in accordance with our desires. Does the fact that we live in a democracy in any way negate God's sovereignty? No! Even with our choices, God is still in control. Somehow, through our corporate choices, He still appoints each authority. How does such a thing work? I could only speculate. But the scriptures cannot be dismissed, and so we must acknowledge that whatever authority we elect, that God has appointed them. That means that God appointed both Obama and Trump to authority. Perhaps one, or both, were intended as punishment. I don't know and I won't speculate.
One might ask about Hitler who was elected to office in Germany. Surely He couldn't have been appointed by God. If I may paraphrase Martin Luther: if you cannot reconcile the scripture with evil authorities, grant the Holy Spirit the position of knowing more than you. Perhaps Hitler was a punishment for a Germany that had largely abandoned the faith - in fact for a Europe that had done so. We may never know this side of heaven.
Fourthly, what part do we have in our nation? Let's review what Paul said:
"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." Acts 20:17
Your specific job is up to God, and was prepared for you before you were born.
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." – Eph 2:10
"Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them." 1 Cor 7:24.
Don't ask me what God's plan for you is. He didn't see fit to inform me what other people's specific purpose is. But there are general principals for us to follow. Paul seems to indicate that God calls you when you are in the place He wants you to be. Obviously that doesn't mean you never leave home if you were saved as a child, nor do you remain a perpetual student if you were saved as one. In the end, the general principle seems to be that we do not seek to change where we are or what we do, but to serve God in that place and situation. However, it is even more important to listen to the Spirit's leading and go where God wants you to go, and do what God wants you to do.
In the absence of specific direction from the Spirit, we should consider that God has, by His sovereignty, placed us where He wants us to be. The friends, family, neighbors, church members, and co-workers are the sphere of influence given to us for God's purposes. There is a saying that summarizes this: "Bloom where you are planted." Some people think that they could do more good if they were elected to public office. I would recommend that you only pursue this if the Spirit directs you to. Even the president is limited in what he can accomplish, both in extent and in time. Not to mention that Washington DC has changed more Christians than Christians have changed Washington DC. Even at the local level, politics tends to be dirty. If a door opens and the Spirit moves you, walk through it. But be very careful you never take your eyes off of Jesus in the process. If the podcast you made takes off and gives you fame and fortune, thank God for it and use it for His glory. But don't chase after such things. Fortune has ruined more lives than it has ever benefited. And fame is just as bad. I almost think that such things are not a blessing from God, but a curse. Far too many Christians want to be someone great for God, and far too few are willing to be live in obscure servanthood for God. Some have more of an interest in feeding the pride of their flesh than in humbling themselves.
There are some things all believers required to do while we sojourn here on earth, in whatever country and community God has placed us. Besides the aforementioned submission to authority, there are a few things that are clear from scripture. First, pray. It has been said: "when man works, man works; when man prays, God works". Prayer should always be the first step in all that we do. What should we pray in regard to our country?
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Intercession is only needed when something wrong is done. We are to intercede with God for our leaders. Everyone does wrong. Everyone needs intercession. We are to give thanks for those in authority over us. There is no modification here for "if they are worthy" or "if we agree with them". Why on Earth would we thank God for some of the rulers we have had? I think the answer comes back to the subject of God's sovereignty. If God has placed even a tyrant over us, we should be thankful to God because He is working out His will both in the world and in our lives. Then there is the matter of petitions. What should we be petitioning God about in regard to our leaders? I think part of the answer is given in the phrase following "...that we may...". Once again we see the principle of living a peaceful and quiet life. Our petitions ought to be such that we can live that way. That means that we pray that our leaders pass laws which are just and righteous - laws that do not interfere with our living godly in Christ Jesus. Laws which promote freedom to follow God without government interference. We should pray for their safety. Death through illness, accident, or assassination would only involve society in upset and clamor. We ought to pray for wisdom and understanding so that our leaders will not make mistakes with regard to the challenges facing them. Most of all, we ought to pray for their souls. I suspect that the majority of our leaders are in need of salvation through Jesus Christ. And those who aren't are in desperate need of the empowering of the Holy Spirit so that they can lead lives worthy of the gospel.
We also have some general responsibilities to the society we live in, in addition to the responsibilities we have to governing authorities. Jesus said to His disciples,
"You are the salt of the earth" - Matthew 5:13
The function of salt in that day was one of a preservative for meat. Without refrigeration, meat would quickly become rancid. So meat was thoroughly rubbed with salt to keep it from rotting. Some fruits and vegetables were also preserved with brine. This function of salt was so important that salt was costly in places where it was not readily available. Even so, salt had its limits. It could delay the onset of rot, but only for so long. Eventually even salted meat would rot - especially in areas with high humidity. But it would keep long enough to provide ongoing food for people.
Jesus is telling us to be salt in the world - that is, we are to do what we can to delay rot. What does societal rot look like? It looks like injustice. It looks like idolatry. In short, it looks like sin. And how do we act as salt? First, we live quiet and peaceful lives under the authority God has placed over us. Second, we pray for our leaders and we pray for our society, friends, co-workers, and family. We pray for those we see on the bus, or pass by on the street. We pray for those who work at the bank, or store that we shop at. We pray for those we hear about in the news. In fact, if you aren't praying for what you hear about in the news, why do you even listen to it? Social influencers of every type should be prayed for because they are leaders of a sort to many people. Frankly, many of them are in desperate need of prayer.
Another way we are salt in the world is by financial support of people and organizations that spread the gospel and/or relieve the poor and suffering of the world. Be very careful not to give your money to charlatans or non-Christian charities. There are plenty of charities run by believers, so there is no need to give to other groups. Be wise with what God has given to you. All of these charities could do even more if people would only give more. According to a recent Vanco Churchgoer Giving Study, less than a third of church goers even tithe. The average giving is about 4% of income. This is from the wealthiest church that has ever lived on the planet.
Another way we are salt is by giving our time. Get involved with a Christian charity to some extent. Or start one yourself if the Spirit leads. All of these charities are always short-handed. Every person has something they can contribute. Do you see a need you can address? Address it yourself. I've also never yet seen a church that didn't need its members to be more involved. Though I will give a note of caution here: once you get involved in some way, you will be asked to get more involved. This is a function of the lack of engagement of most of the congregation - not because people want to take advantage of you. Unfortunately, this can lead to over-commitment and burn-out. Learn to say "no" to ever additional requests - unless you have the capacity.
If only believers did the above things, our society and the world would look very different. Yet how are many believers involved? By complaining, by political agitation, by accusation, and by slander.
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29
"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone." Titus 3:1-2
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." James 1:19-20
"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless." James 1:26
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." James 3:9-10
Do you notice a theme here? What comes out of our mouths, what we post on social media, and what we think in the quiet, ought to be oriented toward encouraging people to righteousness. It should not slander or curse. It should be considerate, peaceable, and gentle. It must not involve hatred or disdain for any people. I think it is beneficial to point out that the disciples didn't slander the leaders who had turned Jesus over to the Romans to be killed. When Peter mentions them, he says "Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders." (Acts 3:17). He gives them the benefit of the doubt. And when they were before the leaders, they didn't accuse or agitate - they merely said "We must obey God rather than human beings!" (Acts 5:29)
Nowhere are we given even an inkling of involving ourselves in vomiting out political rhetoric or unproven accusations against anyone. Remember what Jesus said,
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:1-2.
The Greek word used for "judge" here means "to condemn". It doesn't mean we aren't allowed to discern what is right or wrong. But realize that the way we judge others is the way we will be judged. If you judge someone based on gossip, you will be judged according to how others gossip about you. If you judge by the representation of a social media influencer, you too will be judged based on other people's representations. It is best not to judge people's hearts at all. But that doesn't mean that you cannot judge their actions. And if you do judge their actions, is there a benefit to others in your mentioning of it? Or do you do so only to appear righteous in the eyes of your peers? I daresay we could all stand to speak a lot less.
"Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues." Proverbs 10:19
Also consider what Paul said, "Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." (Romans 13:7) We don't get to decide who is worthy of respect or honor. Those who occupy positions of authority are appointed by God and therefore deserve respect by virtue of that authority, regardless of our thoughts of their personal failings. It is shameful how much professing Christians on both sides of the political aisle heap scorn and derision on leaders of a different political party.
And speaking of paying taxes, Paul is merely repeating here what Jesus said in Mark 12:14-17:
They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy.
“Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
This tax money was used to build pagan temples, support temple prostitution, and make offerings to pagan Gods, among other things. Yet Jesus said to pay the Romans their taxes. I've heard some Christians suggest that they shouldn't pay taxes because the money is misspent on godless things. This is unscriptural. We pay taxes because we are told to obey the authorities. You don't need to pay one cent more than is required, but you had better pay every cent they demand.
Are you seeing a pattern here? Believers ought to be the most peaceful, respectful, law-abiding, citizens of any country they are citizens of. Does this mean that we cannot lobby our representatives? Of course we can. Does this mean that we cannot try to sway the opinion of others to vote a particular way? Of course we can - so long as we operate according to scripture. Does this mean we should not speak out about bad policy? Perhaps if others consider bad policy to be good, it makes sense to lobby them in hopes of changing their minds. But if a leader makes bad policy and most everyone agrees that it is bad policy, then what is the point of flapping your lips about it? Personally, I avoid partisan discussions. However, I do make a point to decry socialism. Is this an inconsistent position for me? It isn't because socialism is an evil that has harmed people everywhere that it has been implemented. It is a form of the rot that we ought to oppose in our role as salt. But that is fairly obvious to anyone with half a brain and any knowledge of history.
Specifics for our responsibilities will depend upon our circumstances and how the Spirit leads. The foregoing indicates what we are all called to. But what about other responsibilities. Doesn't our freedom of speech require us to be involved in political dialog? Whether or not we are required to speak up on political matters is up to the Spirit. But we had better be sure to curb our tongue and only speak what is edifying to others. And what is the balance of what you speak out about? Do you post more on social media about politics than things of the Spirit? That probably says something about what you truly consider more important.
What about voting? I think that voting is only laudable when you are informed. We are called to be wise. If we are ignorant, how can we vote in an informed way? How is that wise? If you vote, do it in a responsible way. Don't expect the Spirit to make up for your laziness in becoming familiar with issues. Ask Him for wisdom, to be sure, but wisdom doesn't operate in a vacuum. If you don't understand science, perhaps you shouldn't vote on scientific issues. If you don't understand economics, perhaps you shouldn't vote on economic issues. If you don't understand foreign relations, perhaps you shouldn't vote on issues related to foreign relations. I'm not saying that you shouldn't vote if you are ignorant - I'm saying you shouldn't be ignorant if you are going to exercise your voting rights. Voting out of ignorance has no valuable - it is careless and irresponsible. And don't think you can put off this responsibility onto other people and just vote like someone you respect suggests. That isn't you voting - that is someone else voting using your vote. Finally, when you vote, is it to seek peace and prosperity for your society? More about this in a bit.
Finally, lets consider the issue of patriotism. As is true of all discussions of any worth, we must define our terms. The definition of "patriotism" seems simple enough: it is love and dedication to a country. But, upon a moment's reflection, "country" is harder to define. Is it a political entity? Is it geography defined by borders? Is it language? Is it history? Is it government? These are all aspects of a country, and they are each useful in their way, but they reduce a country to a simplistic caricature.
In regard to America, how can we define it? It is freedom. It is the clink of slaves' chains. It is a young Thomas Jefferson writing a scathing indictment of the King and slavery in the Declaration of Independence. It is the representatives of South Carolina and Georgia insisting on that paragraph being struck from the Declaration. It is a series of battles between rebels and redcoats. It is Samuel Adams defending redcoats in court after the Boston Massacre. It is winning freedom from the crown and starting a new republic. It is the first law in the world to sunset the Atlantic slave trade. It is the first law (passed by Vermont) in the history of the world to eliminate all forms of slavery. It is slavery that still ends up lasting longer than it does almost anywhere else in the world. It is 490,000 soldiers dying to preserve slavery. It is 596,000 dying to end it. It is a president who eventually gave his life for ending it. It is the building of Washington DC. It is the burning of the White House. It is the rebuilding of the same. It is rescuing Europe from Germany twice. It is westward expansion. It is rebuilding Japan after we defeated it. It is about faith and freedom. It is about greed and corruption. It is scientific and technological advancement. It is bravery. It is treason. It is exploration. It is landing men on the moon. It is education. It is making treaties. It is breaking treaties. It is family. It is individualism. It is about dreams. It is about nightmares. It is about life. It is about death. It is about justice. It is about injustice. It is about high ideals. It is about no ideals. It is about morality, and it is about immorality. It is all these things, and much more. In other words, it is about the human condition and the grace of God. Just like it is everywhere else.
Am I saying that America is just like everywhere else? Absolutely not! But humans are humans and our fallen nature has bad ramifications no matter what country you talk about. There are none righteous. No, not one. And God's grace, which is the only thing that allows us humans to rise above our base nature, is evident everywhere. There are some who will pick out the bad about the country and ignore the rest. And then they will talk and act as if the very same ills have not infected every single society in history. On the other hand, there are some who will pick out only the good about the country and ignore the rest. And then they will talk and act as if America could (and has) done no wrong.
Every democracy is a collection of a group of people who contain elements of both good and bad. You cannot demand that everyone be an angel in that country any more than you can demand that of humanity in general. Since this great mass of humanity making up the country contains both good and bad, the leadership (drawn from that humanity) will also be a mix of the good and bad. Therefore, you cannot pass a moral judgment on a country without judging the society that makes up the country. And you cannot paint that society entirely good or evil. Some might argue that one could judge it in degrees of morality, but I daresay that such a graduated scale isn't something that most of us could agree on in the first place. And even if we could, there are no other countries that are going to significantly differ in those terms.
I do not wish to imply that we should therefore hold no opinions on matters of morals or other importance. Nor do I think we should hold the country at arms-length and with studied disinterest. Frankly there have been some good things in our history and in our present. And there have been some bad things in our history and in our present. One can love the good and hate the bad at the same time. Most of us are not children who are incapable of simultaneously holding both of these things in our consideration. We can do nothing about the past. Previous generations will have to answer to God for the good and evil they have done. We have our own challenges and those who insist on the past do so primarily because they wish to avoid the sins of the present.
"Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin." Deuteronomy 24:16
"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." Ezekiel 18:20
God made it clear that each person suffers for their own sin, not for the sins of others. That means that we had better be far more concerned with our own actions than with the actions of others. The idea of the present generation being responsible for the sins of the past is completely contrary to the express words of God.
I know believers who acknowledge this but insist that the corruption of society is such that it deserves to be destroyed. Perhaps. But, then, so does every other society on the planet. There is nothing uniquely or exceptionally bad about American from a moral standpoint. But let us consider what makes up a society. Does it consist solely of strangers? Does it not also consist of your dearly loved friends? Your parents? Your siblings? Your spouse? Your children? Other people's little children? Disabled people? Immigrants? It takes a certain level of myopia, self-centeredness, and/or hatred of others to wish for the destruction or decline of your own society. Remember that we are to be salt. We are placed here to preserve society - not damage it. Nor can we expect to bring long-term preservation through short-term destruction. Leave the destruction to God and focus on being salt.
Herein is where love of country is properly placed: love for your fellow members of society. That is far more important than any ideals, no matter how lofty those ideals are. Specifically, God has placed us within a family which is our primary responsibility. As Paul tells Timothy,
"Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1 Timothy 5:8
If we want our family to prosper, we need our society to prosper. In fact, we are told to seek precisely that:
"Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." - Jeremiah 29:7
If you seek for the opposite of peace and prosperity for your society, you self-destructively seek unrest and poverty both for yourself and for those you claim to love. It is a simple and logical connection that can only be denied by those who are blinded with self-loathing. True patriotism means you are seeking the best for the people of the country in which God has placed you. This is a reason to sacrifice time and money, to join the military, to lobby your representatives for change, and to vote. To hear some speak of it, it is the responsibility of Christians to hate America. Not so. A country is a collection of people bound by the laws of a common government. As such, it is neither good nor bad. Individuals may be good or bad. Laws may be good or bad. Actions may be good or bad. Policies may be good or bad. It makes little sense to love or hate a country as an abstraction, since it is merely a thing. We are called to love people. And that is done by seeking the peace and prosperity of the society in which God has placed us. This is the calling of all Christians as spoken by God.
Note that the country Jeremiah is speaking about was a pagan nation with pagan Gods. And yet the Israelites were told to seek its peace and prosperity.
But there is another aspect to patriotism, which isn't actually patriotism but is sometimes lumped into it: gratitude. No matter if you choose to think of America as good, evil, or something in-between, one thing is abundantly clear: Americans are blessed with blessings beyond number. We are blessed with great wealth, great power, great influence, abundance of food, scenery, people, and institutions of every kind. We have more Bibles and biblical resources available to us than in any other language spoken in the world. Our pets eat better than a great many people in the world. We have more freedoms than any other country. We have greater security. We are the source of more inventions than any other country. We give more in aid to others than any other country, whether measured by individual or government aid. We have better medical care. We produce more food and energy than we use and that feeds and powers people in other countries. The poorest among us have mobile phones. We have more opportunities than anyone else in the world. Even those who hate the country want to live here, and get their health care here. We are the most blessed people in history.
How then, can there be people who do nothing but complain? How can there even be believers who think there are better places to live? Yet, we have a huge number of people living here who not only do not recognize these blessings, but continually whine about things. But even if there are legitimate things to recognize as bad, believers ought to understand that God does not appreciate those who are unthankful for what they have. In fact, scripture talks more about those who complain than it does about those who are sexually immoral. We are told to be thankful. And if the poor and despised of the Roman empire were supposed to be thankful and rejoice, how much more reason do we Americans have?
"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Philippians 12:14-15
Paul compares complaining with being at fault.
"Nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer." 1 Corinthians 10:10
Here Paul makes reference to those whom God killed in the wilderness for complaining (see Numbers 11:1, and 14:27).
Being thankful doesn't mean that we ignore the bad, but that our focus is on God. Since He is in charge and He is good, there is every reason to give thanks to Him constantly. And if we complain, we may find ourselves under His discipline. He may very well remove blessings from you if you show contempt for what He has given you.
A lot of people associate some sort of sentimental feeling with patriotism. Many associate pride with it. If you want to get emotional, that's fine. Pride may or may not be appropriate depending upon whether the pride involves arrogance or merely satisfaction with a job well done. But the Christian approach to whatever country one is in should be one of gratitude to God, a responsibility to seek the peace and prosperity of one's fellow citizens, control of one's tongue, and a heavenly perspective. This is quite apart from whether or not you have any feelings of patriotism.
So, on this 250th birthday of America, I affirm that I am greatly thankful to God for the privilege and responsibility for living in such a wonderful situation. I'll even fly a flag as a form of that gratitude. I will seek the peace and prosperity of America for the sake of all the people that I love who are also Americans. I'll celebrate a quarter of a millennium of time that my ancestors were able to enjoy it (I know of one or two that go back to before the founding). But I will also hold this life and earthly connection lightly because my true citizenship is in heaven. Nothing on this Earth will last forever.