I was 22 years old when Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network al Qaeda orchestrated attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, on September 11, 2001. What followed was the most significant swell of patriotism I have ever experienced. 79% of adults displayed an American flag, “God Bless America” was inserted into every baseball game, and “United We Stand” was emblazoned on shirts everywhere.
The polls reflected the surge. George W. Bush’s approval ratings shot up from 51% to stunning 89% following the attack. Congress’s approval ratings doubled from 42% to 84%. National pride swelled from 55% of Americans being “extremely proud” of the country in January, 2001 to 65% that December.
If you are too young to remember the 911 attacks, you likely struggle to imagine a country so united in its patriotism. In our divided age, we’ve almost become numb to the possibility of patriotism. A recent survey found that the gulf of patriotism between older and younger people remains high. 86% of Americans over 65 years old consider themselves patriotic, while only 56% of Americans ages 18-34 do.
Who is right? The Boomers or Gen Z?
Allow me first to offer a word of caution about patriotism and then let me advance an argument for why Christians can (and even ought) to be patriotic.
First, a word of caution. Throughout the New Testament, we are reminded that we are elect exiles (1 Pet. 1:1) and ambassadors in a foreign land (2 Cor. 5:20). We serve King Jesus (Rev. 19:16) who reigns over all nations and all nations will one day bow before (Ps. 86:9, Dan. 7:14, Phil. 2:10-11, Rev. 15:4). We are cautioned throughout scripture not to put our trust in rulers or national powers. David says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7). The author of Psalm 146 agrees, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish” (Ps. 146:3-4).
Our ultimate hope is not in any President or even the Constitution. Our hope and allegiance are foremost set upon Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No political party and no political leader will usher in the Kingdom of God.
That said, Christians ought to be patriotic. When the Israelites were taken into captivity in Babylon, God called them not to withhold their allegiance, but to seek the welfare of their place of captivity:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jer. 29:4-7).
Likewise, Paul urges the church at Thessalonica not to let their longing for the coming of Christ lead them to withdraw from working hard and contributing to the welfare of the place they live (1 Thess. 4:9-12).
Furthermore, the Christian life is to be marked by gratitude and joy. A chapter late, Paul urges the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Christians are thankful for their circumstances, including where they live. When I was in high school, I was struck by how many of my classmates scorned our hometown. Many talked about how boring it was, how much they hated the heat and the desert, and how they couldn’t wait to get out of town. I remember one lunchtime sitting with a group that was complaining about Tucson. I sat silent and embarrassed, because I loved my hometown. Over time, it dawned on me that their assessment probably had more to do with their own hearts than our hometown.
A Christian doesn’t ignore difficulties. A Christian isn’t a Pollyanna, refusing to acknowledge hard things. We weep over division, injustice, and corruption. But we do so with full trust that, “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rms. 8:22-23). The King who will set all things right has come and he is coming.
Paradoxically, we can be unabashedly patriotic because we know that our King is on the throne. Consider the peace that fell over Stephen even as stones that would end his life were hurled at him by the leaders of the day:
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54-60)
We can honor our leaders and our nation even in the most dire of circumstances because we joyfully trust that our King reigns and he will vindicate his people.
How much more then, on this 250th anniversary of America, can we unabashedly thank God for his unmerited favor on our nation? We can rejoice that, while our present is checkered by our own sin, God has granted us the freedom to worship him and to evangelize. We can thank God that we can vote for our leaders and voice dissent. We can pray that God will right the injustices in our land while offering gratitude that some of the wrongs of our past, such as slavery and Jim Crow, not allowing women to vote, and Roe v. Wade, have been overturned.
May God bless America, and more importantly, may America bless God. With grateful hearts, we thank God for the land he’s placed us in while awaiting the better, heavenly country (Heb. 11:16). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).
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