Recently I read about celebrities who are “embarrassed to be an American.”
I, on the other hand, get goosebumps when I hear The Star-Spangled Banner. I feel the urge to sing along to the tune of “God Bless America.”
So, on this 250th celebration of our country, yes, I feel patriotic.
I love my country—not with a haughty arrogance that excludes others. Not with a heart that seeks to justify or overlook its failures.
I love the principles on which our country was founded.
Core Values
America is not a “Christian nation” in the sense of that it is not a theocracy. A true belief in Jesus Christ can’t be forced, anyway. True Christianity is not a mental assent to a religion; it’s a transformation of the heart that cannot be coerced. So in the USA, freedom of religion is promised to all people who live here.
But America was founded on core values that have their roots in Christianity. Our Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Using words like “self-evident” presupposes an acceptance of common values. Where did we get the idea that we’re all created equal? The concept comes from the Judeo-Christian belief that every human being is created in the image of God. This fundamental principal was not always widely accepted. In ancient Rome, where Christianity was born, males had power over females, and free men had more value than slaves.
Christianity made the bold statement that, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Who gives us this equality? The Declaration of Independence says our equality comes from our Creator.
A Nation that Wrestles
Through the last 250 years, we’ve struggled to live up to our core values. Our “founding fathers,” the signers of the Declaration of Independence, had lofty ideals for this new nation of ours. But in their personal lives, they didn’t always live up to those ideals.
As a nation, we went to war to prove that “all men” meant men of every color.
Later, our nation wrestled with idea that “all men” actually meant “all humans.” Our Christian roots tell us that Jesus valued, befriended, and elevated women. So we’ve had to amend our Constitution to better reflect our true values.
And today, we still wrestle to live up to the core values rooted in Christian beliefs.
What happens when one individual’s right to life infringes on another’s right to pursue happiness?
If someone has the right to pursue their own brand of happiness, does another person have the liberty to say they disapprove?
Do we protect the rights of all people, even those who deny these rights to others—those who subjugate their women, those who steal and kill, those who wish to rob the rest of us of our liberty?
Grateful to Be an American
I thank God for the freedoms I have as an American.
I could have been born in a country where, as a women, I don’t have access to higher education. Where I could be executed for not wearing a proper head covering.
Or I could live in a country where I might be tortured or murdered for attending a worship service.
And my challenges would have been compounded had I been born in a nation where gang violence wreaks havoc on its citizens.
Or I might not be allowed to assemble, to speak freely, or to have access to information.
Happiness is not guaranteed. Prosperity is not promised. But here in America, we have the freedom to pursue happiness.
That freedom doesn’t equal entitlement. We have the freedom to find meaningful work so we can support our families. The Bible teaches that each of us should work to earn our own living. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12)
At Least I Know I’m Free
This July 4th, on America’s 250th birthday, I’ll freely gather with friends. We’ll enjoy an abundance of food, and we’ll freely discuss our faith in God and our opinions on events in our country. We’ll pray for our country and our leaders and ask God to preserve our freedom so we may continue to live in peace and freely share our faith.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV
We’ll thank God for the privilege of being born in America and pray we will never abandon the principles on which our country was founded. We’ll pray that Americans will always value each individual human life and guard the liberty we have.
May we never forget our Creator, and may we never take those freedoms for granted.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to get teary-eyed when I hear, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.”
I pray that those who are ashamed of their country will realize what a privilege they have to express that opinion.
Flag images courtesy of Aaron Burden and Christina Glebova on Unsplash
Jet image courtesy of Joe Desousa on Unsplash