This is the time of year when it’s easy to be patriotic. There’s something about Independence Day — burgers on the grill, time with family and friends by the pool, watermelon, and fireworks — that can bring out the patriot in all of us.
I also think that Christians can be especially grateful to live in a country that placed a premium on religious liberty at its founding, but we have to be careful not to make patriotism an idol. One of the worst examples of this came a few years ago when Dr. Robert Jeffress and the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas debuted a hymn called “Make America Great Again.”
At the time, I pointed out that “the song’s lyrics don’t mention God or Jesus anywhere. It’s basically a call for… well… somebody to gather together and rally around the old idol of the United States of America.”
In another article a few years ago, I posed the question:
…can a church service focus on nationalism or patriotism?
It’s a tricky question, really. Mentioning holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day during the service is fine. Praying for our country is wonderful — and vital. Talking about our freedom is great, especially if the sermon or discussion centers on our freedom in Christ. But an entire Sunday morning service turned into a festival of patriotism turns America into an idol.
Flashback: Do Some Evangelicals Go Too Far in Their Efforts to Bring Patriotism into the Church?
This year, there are some egregious examples of Christians treading that line between patriotism and idolatry. Jeffress is back again, this time with a CD called For God & Country “featuring seven incredible patriotic music performances by the First Baptist Dallas Choir and Orchestra.”
But the most jaw-dropping example has to be the We the People Bible. The description should blow your mind. “The We The People Bible was designed with the patriot in mind and features a vertical reversed American flag design that represents a country in distress,” the website crows. “Our bible is proudly made in the USA and has been designed with large print that delivers an easy reading experience to anyone looking to explore the tried-and-true King James (KJV) translation.”
The We the People Bible carries the coveted endorsement of Donald Trump, Jr.: “The ‘We The People Bible’ is restoring what there is an attempt to remove. Preservation of Faith, preservation of America.” But the kicker is that “Every We The People Bible also includes easy-to-read copies of America’s founding documents including the United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance.”
On the surface, these things may seem harmless. After all, there’s nothing wrong with listening to patriotic songs, and it’s important for us to keep our familiarity with the documents of our founding as a nation. But to sell the patriotic CD on your ministry website is a bad idea — would Jesus turn tables in the church foyer over something like that? The American documents in the Bible are even worse; as great as they are, they shouldn’t be held up alongside scripture in any kind of light.
As Christians, we’re not supposed to define ourselves by our earthly status. The Apostle Paul reminds the church in Philippi, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:20-21, ESV).
Because of this, Paul tells the Corinthians church that “we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), while the Apostle Peter says we are “sojourners and exiles” who should “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
We Christians need to be careful not to let our patriotism get in the way of our true heavenly citizenship. It’s wonderful to celebrate our freedom as Americans and to be proud of our country, but don’t make an idol of America.
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