Happy Independence Day
Last year I was vacationing with the family on the 4th. This year they're vacationing and I'm working on a few projects. I thought I'd bring back a post from last year's 4th. It explains a little bit of my love for country and my love for God and the relationship between the two.
The relationship between faith and patriotism is complex. Much more so than most Christians will admit. So, here's my stab at an understanding . . . .
The family and I are in Memphis, gathered with members of my extended family to celebrate the 4th. Tonight we'll attend a Redbirds game which will followed by fireworks and ooohs and aaahs. My observant six year old started the morning at breakfast by asking, "Do Christians celebrate the 4th of July?"
Great question. Which requires an answer.
The straight-forward answer is yes. Christians can and should celebrate the fourth of July. We are blessed to live in a country where we can worship free from government coercion. Our country's economic and political strength gives us a unique position in the world. We are truly blessed so that we can be a blessing.
But, as we celebrate the birth of our nation and our citizenship, we need to also pause to remember that no matter how proud we are of our citizenship here; no matter how patriotic we feel, our ultimate citizenship is always somewhere else.
Paul says in Philippians 3.20, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul doesn't say, "one day our citizenship will be in heaven." He uses the present tense. Now. Right now, we are citizens of heaven. So, we hold dual citizenship. But, when push comes to shove and we have to decide between the two (and there are times when we must), we are called to choose the values of heaven. That is our primary citizenship.
People ask me from time to time why we don't display the flag in our sanctuary. My response is that we do display it at appropriate times of year (Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Thanksgiving), when we are honoring and celebrating our citizenship in specific ways. But the rest of the year we gather to worship remembering that our citizenship is in heaven. And the symbols we have in worship are from that Kingdom and that Kingdom alone. What are those symbols? The cross, the dove, and other symbols that remind us of our God and his son Jesus Christ.
So, do we celebrate the 4th? Absolutely. I will be tonight. I will sing the anthem, and share stories of our country with my children.
But when we gather on Sunday, I will sing the songs of that Kingdom and make sure my children know the stories of that Kingdom, too.
Have a great 4th of July. Stay safe. I'll see you Sunday.