After watching both political parties hold conventions the last two weeks, it appears that "God Bless America" is the new black. You couldn't be blamed if you thought the candidates were wind-up dolls who, when you pulled their strings their little electronic voices proffered you a very merry "God bless you, and God bless America!"
It's a common sentiment to voice and even desire in this proud country of ours. Especially as Christians, we want God to rest His blessing on us and the place we call home. It just makes sense.
While I don't think it's wrong to ask for God's wisdom, guidance, and blessing for our nation, too often we confuse our nationality with our Christianity. Or should I say we mix our nationality with our Christianity in a dangerous way. What happens is that we implicitly begin to believe that God's special favor resides with us in a way that it doesn't with other countries--especially ones where the people wear turbans and pray five times a day (far more than many Christians, I might add).
The other day I read the Book of Amos chapter 9, and it's been stuck in my craw ever since. I'm just putting it out there for you to consider in relation to the divine invocation we so often hear and the sentiments that undergird it. Here it is. Let me know what you think.
“Are you Israelites more important to me than the Ethiopians?” asks the Lord. “I brought Israel out of Egypt, but I also brought the Philistines from Crete and led the Arameans out of Kir.
“I, the Sovereign Lord, am watching this sinful nation of Israel. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel,” says the Lord. “For I will give the command and will shake Israel along with the other nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one true kernel will be lost. 10 But all the sinners will die by the sword—all those who say, ‘Nothing bad will happen to us.’" (Amos 9:7-10, NLT).
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3 comments:
Interesting. Reminds me of several discussions we had in ERC at Lenny's. I didn't remember that passage of Amos but it certainly does make your point! Thanks, Andy.
I very much relate to your point of view and wanted to thank you for talking about it. Too often I find that Americans have an almost self-centered attitude about being an American. I agree that our country is one of the best places to live in the world right now. But to say that we are the greatest nation in the world is something a struggle believing in.
I think that today, the church is to often defined by the empire. I read a quote the other day and a guy defined the church as a sub-culture and said we act just like the empire that is around with a little of our own flavor sprinkled in. He said the church should be counter-culture. Anwsering hate with love, violence with peace, while loving and excepting those who have pushed to the outside.
Great thoughts Andy I will enjoy reading!
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