Patriotism and Faith

Various Scriptures                     Marianne Niesen                     July 4, 2010

     Perhaps you heard somewhere about a discussion that took place about whether or not it is possible for a chicken to lay an egg on a busy interstate highway without getting killed. It took several people several days to decide this. They weighed the options. They pondered the possibilities. Finally they decided that, indeed it was possible for a chicken to lay an egg on the highway - as long as she layed it on the line - and did it quickly.

     Well, that is what I want to do today. On this July 4^th holiday weekend, I want to talk about patriotism and, in particular, I want to talk about the place where faith and patriotism intersect. And that can be tricky to do in church! So let me state the issue quickly by quoting William Sloan Coffin, now deceased, former pastor of Riverside Church in New York City and one of the great preachers of our time. His last book, entitled Credo, was a compilation of quotations and excerpts from his long life of preaching and teaching. He wrote:

     I believe we all ought to be good citizens, good patriots if you will. But, our patriotism must be informed by a faith grounded in the vision of Christ and tempered and strengthened by the compassion of Christ. To lay it on the line clearly - I do not believe patriotism is wearing red, white and blue or sporting lapel flag pins or wearing hats dripping with tea bags while incessantly demonizing people with whom we disagree - a custom that is sadly all too prevalent in today’s political debate. Patriotism is about loving our country enough to challenge her with the compassion and vision of Jesus Christ. And, faithful patriotism must include public discourse that is both respectful and civil. If our faith does not inform our patriotism and make a difference in how we treat each other - even when discussing big issues, we are destined to become the kind of place the founders of this country fled.

     Several years ago, I cut out a Peanuts cartoon. Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown are sitting on opposite sides of a tree, musing about the world. What do you think security is, Chuck? Security? Security is sleeping in the back seat of the car when you’re a little kid and you’ve been somewhere with your Mom and Dad, and it’s night, and you’re riding home in the car. You can sleep in the back seat. You don’t have to worry about anything . . . Your Mom and Dad are in the front seat and they do all the worrying . . . they take care of everything.That’s real neat! says Peppermint Patty. Charlie Brown isn’t finished. But it doesn’t last. Suddenly you’re grown up and it can never be that way again! Suddenly it’s over, and you’ll never get to sleep in the back seat again! Never! Never? Absolutely never! Peppermint Patty and Charlie lean toward each other, eyes round with fright, faces sober. Patty says simply Hold my hand, Chuck.

     We know the feeling. We know it as individuals and we know it as a nation. The search for security has been the rallying cry since September 11^th. We want security. And too often we’ve been willing to let someone else do the driving and we’ve tried to sleep in the back seat and we’ve called it patriotism and it’s not working. For us as Christians, patriotism can never be something that happens when we are asleep. And we cannot simply let someone else drive - because we have a map. We have a map of what is expected of us as good, faithful Christians. And we must constantly use that map as we help chart a direction for the future. Patriotism for a person of faith is not primarily about security. It is about moving forward - together - toward the kingdom of God.

     We are certainly called to a different ethic. Now, admittedly, we will have different interpretations of how we live out the vision of Jesus but we dare not fall asleep in the back seat as someone else - be they Republican, Democrat, Radio Talk Show Host, TV Pundit or anyone else - does all the interpreting for us. The patriotism of the Christian happens where life intersects with faith. Real patriotism will always mean real questions, real searching, real focus on the things that matter. But don’t take it from me - listen to these words by a General in the US Marine Corps . . . I have had this particular quote for several years. I originally found it when I did an internet search on patriotism and faith just after September 11^th. I could not re-locate the speech in its entirety although I did find several places where parts of it were quoted. The speech was by Gen. David Shoup who served in World War II, was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, died in 1983 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He delivered this speech on patriotism on July 4, 1962 as our country (you may remember) struggled through the turmoil of the Vietnam War.

     Again, these words were spoken by a prominent general forty eight years ago. If patriotism is faith - and I believe it is - then it is a faith based on love, the love of the things that we believe are best for the people of our country, and thus for the nation itself. It is a deep faith in what we are for, not a hatred for things we are against. Such words challenge us. Patriotism is about love not fear. That is language we people of faith can understand. Love. Real love, we know, from 1 John 4 casts out fear. And, as Christian people of faith, we are challenged to remember that this love is not just for the people of our country - it is a love for all God’s people. Pablo Casals said "Love of country is a wonderful thing, but why should love stop at the border?" And Paul said in Romans 12: Do not repay anyone evil for evil . . . never avenge yourselves . . . if your enemies are hungry feed them . . . overcome evil with good. Our love for country must be informed by our love for Christ. As the General said: Fear and hate are corrosive and carry the seeds for the destruction of the deep patriotism so necessary to ensure the future of America. He was writing as a general but his words could be a sermon. Acting out of fear and hate is, to use his words, corrosive.

     Let me share one other story - the story of nurse Edith Cavell. You may have heard of her. She was one of the heroines of World War I. Some have even compared her to Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Nurse Cavell was tied to a stake in German Occupied Belgium in the early morning hours of October 12, 1915 and shot as a traitor. Peter Gomes in his sermon Patriotism is Not Enough tells the story:

     Her statue stands in London and on its base are inscribed the words patriotism is not enough.

     Perhaps that good Christian woman who died a victim of someone else’s patriotic brutality really does sum up the challenge facing us today. Patriotism is not enough. Celebrating the 4^th of July is a great thing. But it is not enough. Appreciating our freedom is an empowering thing. But it is not enough. Supporting our women and men serving in the military is a good thing. But it is not enough. Our country needs thoughtful, faithful citizens. We need to study the issues. We need to vote. We need to ask hard questions. We need to allow the gospel to inform the decisions we make about our future. We need to demand that legislators stop the hateful rhetoric we hear constantly in the halls of Congress. And we must challenge the pervasiveness of fear and hate as guiding forces in our national psyche. We can no longer fall asleep while someone else drives - no matter what political party they claim.

     And so, on this July 4^th, 2010, may our love for our country and our love for Jesus inspire in us a patriotism that casts out fear and works to build a nation of peacemakers and justice-seekers.

               ¹ William Sloane Coffin, Credo, Westminster John Knox Press, ©2004, p. 83.