In recent
years, discussions of patriotism and nationalism have penetrated the boundaries
of society and moved into the walls of the church to the point where falsely
marrying the church to one side of the issue or another now regularly occurs.
As a pastor and a worship leader, I desire to see all things through the grid
of God’s glory; this includes the issue of patriotism and nationalism, which
are two drastically disparate items. What is the Christian view on patriotism?
On nationalism? Is there a single Christian view, or might there be a plurality
of right views on the issue? I am usually a both
and person and prefer to view issues with an open mind, if the view I have
does not blatantly contradict Scripture. I have three primary thoughts on the
Christian’s relationship between patriotism and nationalism as well as an
additional personal note that I would like to share.
God’s Heart Is for the Nations
First,
God’s heart is for the nations. Scripture is replete with the concept of
nations. Psalm 46:10 reads, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be
exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in all the earth!” (ESV). The
Prophet Isaiah speaks of God as a judge between Nations (Isa 2:4).
Additionally, the Psalmist says that the LORD rules over the nations (Ps
22:28). Our modern concept of nations is limited to geographic regions; yet,
geography does not fit the context of Scripture. In the Bible, nations are
groups of people. Certainly, nations often reside in the same region but not
always, e.g. the church is referred to as a “holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9). In that
sense then, God’s people are collectively known as a nation. The church
includes people from all parts of the world and all generations. The holy and
chosen nation of God, the church, is not limited by geographic regions, i.e.
the biblical view of a nation is not synonymous with a country. God’s heart is
not merely for the people of the nations but rather for the people of all nations
to worship him, hence the concept of worship as the primary purpose of the
church. Missions exists so that the gospel of Christ is shared with all nations
in order that all nations might worship triune God. In discussions of
nationalism and patriotism, we must realize that God’s heart is not for any
single country but for all nations or groups of people.
It Is Okay and Good to Love Your Country
Second, it
is not wrong to love your country. We must realize the difference between a
nation and a country, which I just expressed. We should also be mindful that
our allegiance to country should never override our allegiance to God. Having
this moral compass might involve standing against government at times. Godly
men and women throughout history have stood against governments in the name of
righteousness. Doing so does not make one unpatriotic but, in fact, more
patriotic. When people love God, they want the best for their country.
Godliness is always best for any group of people. I do not advocate forcing or
legislating morality; I do, however, make the point that one’s faith in Christ
affects what they advocate for in society. If a government is immoral to the
point that their actions are destroying a group of people, righteous individuals
and churches should intervene and stand against their government, not out of
hate for their country but rather out of love.
These are
complicated issues; rarely, are they black and white. I would personally
suggest that Christians should be careful not to equate certain political
stances with moral stances. If, however, a government’s actions are apparently
wrong and dangerous,[1]
people should intervene. Even Dietrich Bonhoeffer recognized the vitality of a
love for country. German Christians held a convention in 1933 at which they
resolved, “God has created me a German. Germanism is a gift from God.”[2]
Christians like Bonhoeffer treaded the fragile path of compatibility between
patriotism and allegiance to Christ. Christians should hold unwavering allegiance
to Christ; upon that allegiance then, when a government is corrupt, God’s
people must take a stand as patriots, which is precisely what Bonhoeffer did.
He did not resent his German countrymen and even acknowledged that godly men
fought for the German military. His obligation, however, was first and foremost
to Christ. It is okay and good to love your country; nonetheless, love God
more.
There Is a Difference in Patriotism and Nationalism
The
association of patriotism and nationalism presents a false dichotomy; the two
are not synonymous. Where nationalism professes allegiance to geographic
countries at all costs, patriotism professes allegiance to a people (perhaps in
a country). In Christian worship, we should partake in patriotism, not
nationalism. Our western idea of patriotism, however, has evolved into a
misunderstanding of meaning nationalism. We must change this. The United States
is not God’s chosen people; nor will we ever be. Yet, believers in the United
States are part of one holy and chosen nation, the people of God. Let us then
be fervently faithful to God above all else, and upon our allegiance to God,
let us be patriotic in love for our own people and people of other nations. Christians
from all parts of the world are collectively one nation.
A Personal Note: Symbols of Nationalism Do Not Belong in Weekly Worship
Gatherings
As a pastor
and a worship leader, I need to take time to discuss symbols of nationalism in
places of worship. My eyes were opened to the seriousness of the issue in the
mid-2000s when a man in the church in which I was ministering complained about
images of the Apostles on our stained-glass windows. In the same worship space,
however, there also stood an American flag. It saddened me that he did not have
a problem with the flag but with images (symbols) of the Apostles. My personal
stance of eliminating symbols of nationalism in worship is derived primarily
from a fervent belief that triune God, whose heart is for all nations, should
be the focus of all aspects of corporate worship. By corporate worship, I am referring to the church’s
weekly worship gatherings. Note that I did not suggest symbols of patriotism
should never be employed. There are certainly times, in proud celebrations of
one’s country, when patriotic symbols can and should be presented. A place of
worship, however, is not one of those places.
During a recent 4th of July celebration,
a prominent megachurch opted to dedicate the entire Sunday morning worship
gathering to country. The songs which were sung were focused on country and
often did not mention or allude to God. American flags were waved throughout
the service. In my opinion, this worship service did not tell the story of God
but of country. A case could be made that what occurred during that service was
idolatry. The story of God and his people should be the sole focus of corporate
worship.
Since God’s
heart is for all nations (groups of people), equally, if a nation is
represented in corporate worship, it should be the holy and chosen nation of
the people of God. If Christians neglect to see the nations as God’s heart and
desire, they effectively disobey the gospel’s call to preach to all nations,
not one better than the other. We might believe that ours is the greatest
country on earth, but it is wrong to say that any country is the greatest
nation on earth. The elements surrounding the Christian perspectives on
patriotism and nationalism are coming to a head. We must then know what we
believe and how to respond. Let us be faithful followers of Christ who love our
country but love God’s heart for all nations and people above anything else.
[1] The
combination of wrong and dangerous should be considered rather than only wrong.
In situations where actions are only wrong, Christians should preach the truth
against it but not risk heavy intervention.
[2] Jack Rogers, Presbyterian Creeds (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press,
1985), 182.
