America, the Cross, and the Flag
We are in the midst of a Presidential Election, and many are unhappy with our choice of candidates. According to one poll provided by Schoen Consulting, 61 % of voters said that they weren’t satisfied with having to make a choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Furthermore, 58% have an unfavorable view of Clinton and 59 % have an unfavorable view of Trump. What are we to do? What are we to put our faith in?
We have just celebrated Memorial Day weekend, and July the 4th will soon be upon us. We have seen red, white, and blue all around us. America is a beautiful and wonderful country. We should be proud to be Americans. However, I think that we often put too much of our faith in our country. I always get a little weary when I see people equating the Church with the United States of America. It is difficult to mix oil and water. By the same token it is difficult to mix our allegiances with the allegiances of Jesus. It is a shame that Church has become clouded with figures like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. These symbols have nothing to do with the meaning of church. We have allowed these outside and secular symbols to muddy the waters of our faith. There is a big difference between our way and our allegiances, and the narrow way of Jesus. I realize that I may upset some people by saying this, but one of those symbols we have allowed to creep into our sacred space is the American flag.
Bishop Will Willimon tells about a man named Allen Story who is a young pastor from South Africa. Allen Story was leading a group of ministers in a worship service in Washington D.C. one evening. He rose up to the pulpit just before the service began and said, “May I just say one thing before we begin the service? As a visitor to your country from another place, I wish you would consider removing the American flag from your sanctuary. I was shocked when I entered your church today and saw that your country’s flag was positioned so prominently next to the altar. That would not happen in my church, because my church forbids us to have flags and other secular, political paraphernalia in our services. I wish you would just think about how that flag clashes with this cross.” Then he said, “Of course, I’m from South Africa and we learned the hard way about the difference between the ways of God and our ways.”
Does the American flag belong in the Christian sanctuary? This is a tough question for many. Symbols are important. They represent and form our deepest feelings, allegiances, and commitments. Some may read about this story of Allen and think, “That’s South Africa, but We are America. We are different. We have a democracy.” Some may even think, “America is better.” Many people think that America is innocent… But, as Will Willimon once pointed out, there are thousands of African American slaves and Native Americans who, if they could, would rise up from their graves to accuse us! America is far from innocent. Our country has blood stained on its hands! We have killed the other. We have oppressed the other. We have done wrong.
I have just returned from a trip to D.C. where I was constantly reminded of the bloody past of America. I was able to spend one day in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I walked among the fields of Gettysburg where young men died fighting over the oppressive and horrific act of slavery. In D.C. I saw pictures and videos of those who were tragically killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I saw memorials of those who fought in Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Germany. All that being said, I am thankful to live in a country that allows me to have the freedom to write the things that I’m writing. I am thankful to all of those who have served in the military and fought for my freedom. Service men and women have fought and died for our country and for our people. That is an important thing to remember. I am lucky to have been born in the country of America. There are some, however, who were not as lucky. There are some, however, who are still being oppressed. There are some, however, who will never be as free as this white American male… And that is what breaks my heart.
Look to the other and remember that Americans are no better than anyone else. Our God is a God of all the nations. Not just the God of America. So, I ask that you put aside your allegiances and join in with the allegiances of Jesus. There is room for patriotism. There is room for national pride. There is room to be proud of your country. But let us leave room for others in our hearts as well. Remember that our ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ. I will conclude with one of my favorite hymns. Please read these words carefully. They beautifully express how one can love their country, but also leave room for others as well.
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a prayer that peace transcends in every place;
and yet I pray for my beloved country --
the reassurance of continued grace:
Lord, help us find our one-ness in the Savior,
in spite of differences of age and race.
May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.
This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms,
thy kingdom come, on earth, thy will be done;
let Christ be lifted up 'til all shall serve him,
and hearts united, learn to live as one:
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations,
myself I give thee -- let thy will be done.
