I was sitting here reflecting on the 4th of July.  It is 2009.  Wow. I can probably remember 50 Independence Days now.  I remember them as hot, lazy, and relatively anti-climactic.  The day is further etched in my mind as it is the day my mother died in 1964.  Yeah, that cast a pall over the day forever for me and my family, I suppose.

I’m proud of my country.  I don’t think I’m as patriotic in the same way as a lot of people, but I am patriotic and proud of what God has done here.  I don’t have many illusions of grandeur about anything in this present sinful world.  But, as it goes, America has surely been the greatest country that has ever existed.  What country has ever so fully embraced Christ in the way the United States has (Yeah, I know we are "post-Christian". Whatever)?  What other country was literally established upon the principles of human rights and equality?  What country has accepted so many of the poor and marginalized from all over the world?  What country has ever offered so much for so many so quickly?  What country has sacrificed more resources and people to protect citizens of foreign countries?  What country has given anywhere near as much to as many poor countries and organizations?  From what country in the world have you seen nearly the amount of benevolence and support of so many of the poor around the globe?  What country is a better friend and ally to other countries?  What country provides its citizens more rights, freedoms, and opportunities?

Yeah, I know we’ve got problems.  Every generation since Christ’s has believed the world couldn’t get any worse.  Every generation has bemoaned the deterioration of the youth [as they simply imitated the character of their parents, I think}.  Some in every generation have felt certain Christ would indeed have to return during their era since things were “so bad.”  The sky has been falling for years.  Some seem to just stay negative all the time so that when negative happens they can take credit for its prediction.  I felt some were disappointed the computers didn’t fail when the millennium changed because they didn’t get to use their private stashes of water and food and think about how smart they were and how dumb everyone else was.  “Keep the guns out sweetie lest any of the unprepared try to get our food or water.”  [“No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).]

To the chagrin of many and apparently the delight of many more, we are definitely making strong moves toward socialism and in my way of thinking that is not a good thing.  I really don’t want government running anymore than it just plain seems to have to.  And, government in business is bad business every time.  I once waited four hours just to get my driver’s license in another state.  The state didn’t seem to mind at all!  My wife and I got to settle her father’s estate dealing with the IRS.  I came out hurt, jaded and cynical about how unjust, unfair, and plain mean even the best government in the world is!  When governments run things, often, contrary to the teamwork notion, no one of us is as nonsensical as all of us.  

But, when individuals don’t control themselves, but rather fall to spiritual and ethical anarchy, big government will form, enlarge, and assert more and more control.  We now have the right not just to take the life of fetuses, we can do it cruelly.  Marriage between opposite genders is hardly respected at all in a large portion of society, as witnessed by rampant divorce and cohabitation.  And now to be cool and inclusive, we have to accept gay marriage, as if homosexual activists don’t already have the “right” to “partner” all they want.  The day will come I suppose when we’ll be expected to be inclusive of incestuous marriages.  “You can’t legislate morality,” we’re told.  Hence, fraud and theft and embezzlement can’t be legislated either, right?  How about loving sexual relationships between adults and children?  How dare anyone condemn that when we Christians are so judged for simply accepting the principles of morality that have long been accepted by the Judeo-Christian tradition?

And, aren’t our political parties wonderful now?  Sadly, they’re now largely based on some sins God says will condemn men, sins God clearly hates: hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy” (Gal. 5:19-21).  But, hey, who notices.  Christians, get your flags out.  Join the band in hate.  Fight fire with fire.  The party not in power simply tries to subvert every effort of the other no matter what.  Just as long as the other isn’t successful.  My party is the only one with a good idea, right?  No wonder America is in trillions of dollars in debt to one of our biggest world rivals and a Communist country at that!  No wonder we just bailed out banks and other companies to the tune of millions and then watched the leaders who drove them into the ground get millions of dollars in bonuses.

Get my point?

But, my citizenship is in heaven.  The only true freedom is found only in Christ—“If the son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).  I am more akin to citizens of America’s enemies that are Christians than to Americans who aren’t.   No bias, no prejudice, nothing personal, no malice against anyone stateside; just kingdom reality.  I am a stranger and sojourner in this world.  This world is not my home and therefore America isn’t really either.  It’s a great place to live with the liberties, comforts, and opportunities we enjoy here.  But, it’s not our home.  “In this world [anywhere you may live] you will have trouble” (John 16:33).  In the next world you won’t – “There [in heaven] will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

No fireworks show will be able to compare with the glory that will be revealed when Christ returns.  No freedom will compare to the liberation Christ will bring to this present bondage the world is held under.  No citizenship will be nearly as sweet as that in the “land of endless days.”

So, I suggest you be proud of your country without judging other countries or treating them with dishonor.  I suggest you enjoy a patriotism that doesn’t treat others as “less than.”  “The greatest shall be the least.”  I suggest you spend the day focusing on the excellent and the praiseworthy.  And, keep a kingdom perspective.