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I would like to begin by quoting from an article that recently appeared in the Christian Century magazine. It is entitled: “Inhuman Behavior, A Chaplain’s View of Torture.” It is written by Major General Kermit D. Johnson, former Chief of Chaplains, graduate of West Point, U.S. Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army War College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Korean War veteran. He writes:

The historian Arnold Toynbee called war "an act of religious worship." Appropriately, when most people enter the cathedral of violence, their voices become hushed. This silence, this reluctance to speak, is based in part on not wishing to trivialize or jeopardize the lives of those who have been put in harm's way. We want to support the men and women in our armed forces, whether we are crusaders, just warriors or pacifists.

Furthermore, those who interrupt this service of worship become a source of public embarrassment, if not shame. The undercurrent seems to be that dissent or critique in the midst of war is inherently unpatriotic because it violates a sacred wartime precept: support our troops.

From the standpoint of Christian faith, how do we respond? I would say that if war causes us to suppress our deepest religious, ethical and moral convictions, then we have indeed caved in to a "higher religion" called war.

Since this obeisance to war is packaged in the guise of patriotism, it is well to admit to the beauty of patriotism, the beauty of unselfishness and love of country, land, community, family, friends and, yes, our system of government. But this fabulous beauty makes us appreciate all the more what Reinhold Niebuhr called the "ethical paradox in patriotism." The paradox is that patriotism can transmute individual unselfishness into national egoism. When this happens, when the critical attitude of the individual is squelched, this permits the nation, as Niebuhr observed, to use "power without moral constraint."

Reinhold Niebuhr was our greatest theological thinker since Jonathan Edwards, and like his forbear, he combined a subtle understanding of political philosophy with biblical theology. I find his view of the “ethical paradox in patriotism” helpful in understanding the role of Christian worship in times of patriotic celebration, especially on national holidays like July 4^th. Paradoxes cannot be solved and they cannot be dismissed either. They must be recognized and somehow lived with. For Christians, should the 4^th of July be simply the joyous celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a kind of unashamed national birthday party, in which we set aside for the moment differences of opinion on big issues like war and peace, and just have a good time? Or do such festivities carry a particular responsibility to recognize differences, even embrace dissent? Do we just sing together the old patriotic hymns, praise our founders, lift up our national values, and enumerate the sacrifices of so many in our national history? Or do we look hard and critically at the present realities, especially in time of war? 

For me, the dilemma is symbolically expressed by the fact that in our sanctuary we display two flags – on your left, the Stars and Stripes, and on your right, the flag of the Christian Church. From time to time a CCC guest or member will ask me why is the U.S. flag in our sanctuary, and sometimes also, where did this Christian flag come from? Every church I have pastored has had both in the sanctuary. It may surprise some of you to hear me say that I don’t personally have a problem with this. Here, very much speaking for myself, I support it. Let me say more. At one level, personally I don’t care for flags at all, particularly national flags. The great British poet who died in World War I, Wilfred Owen wrote: “…when each proud fighter brags He wars on Death – for Life; not men – for flags.” I would say that Christianity is ultimately about warring on Death – for Life. But at another level I am deeply aware of the power of symbols, for good as well as ill. At this level, again speaking for myself, I believe that having both flags here symbolizes the tension between Christian faith and American patriotism. For me the two are always held up together in a sometimes happy, sometimes difficult relationship.

On the 4^th of July I believe that, on the one hand, it is a wonderful time to unashamedly celebrate what Chaplain Johnson calls the “fabulous beauty” of patriotism, including the “beauty of unselfishness and love of country, land, community, family, friends and, yes, our system of government.” I can feel this down to the very depth of my being, and I am 100% grateful to the United States of America for those feelings of love and gratitude. And at the same time, the presence of the Christian flag (and no, I have no idea where that came from historically, probably a crusade), the presence of this other flag, bearing as it does the cross, reminds me of Neibuhr’s warning about the “ethical paradox” that “patriotism can transmute individual unselfishness into national egoism.”

In my view, more than at any time I can remember, both religion and patriotism have come together to feed a growing national ego. And that is very dangerous, especially since we are now, as they say, the world’s only superpower.

This weekend, the Rev. Jerry Falwell marks the 50^th anniversary of the founding of his church in Lynchburg, Virginia. Over this time the congregation grew from 35 to 24,000 members, and the celebration will include the opening of a 6,000 seat sanctuary. Occasionally someone will ask me what the fundamentalists are doing to grow churches so successfully, and couldn’t we learn from them. I heard Rev. Falwell interviewed last week on NPR and he was asked that very question – what is the secret of your success? His answer was interesting to me. Apart from his assumption that he was blessed with success because he does the will of God, he pointed to two things. First, that he always insisted on using state of the art technology and media – sound system, radio, TV and so forth. And second, he unashamedly said that he chooses to stress the divisive issues that he knows will arouse people. In other words, his is intentionally a ministry that focuses on the wedge issues. In his case this has meant a systematic opposition to abortion, attacks on gays and lesbians, the marginalized and those who speak for them. He seemed especially proud of his attacks on Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. As I listened, it occurred to me that Rev. Falwell’s religious tactics mirror perfectly the political tactics of Karl Rove. In the world of the religious and political right, patriotism equals Christianity. And when patriotism and Christianity are combined in this way, the national ego thrives.

If what I am expressing is anywhere near the truth, then what should our faith be saying and doing to address the dangers of an inflated national ego? Let me briefly mention our scriptural theme this morning of longing and abundance. Apply them both to a national, not just personal level.

In Psalm 130 we see an eloquent expression that true faith is rooted in the depths of personal, anguished, longing for God. It is the cry of someone whose experience has been one of loss and suffering. It is the yearning of one whose pride has been utterly crushed. The Psalmist cries:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.

These are the words of one whose ego has been smashed. One who is desperately aware that life has jumped the tracks. It is the cry of one who knows that without God all is lost. For this person, the power of God is intimately connected with the power of God to forgive, and the capacity of the sinner to confess. It is hard for nations to confess when patriotism grows strident.

And from 2 Corinthians we find this remarkable passage about generosity. Paul has been conducting a fund-raising effort throughout the churches for the Jerusalem church, a community that had fallen on hard times because of poverty and oppression at the hands of the Romans and the Jews of that time. He writes this to the relatively wealthy Christians in Corinth:

For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich…For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has – not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.

Paul is simply saying to wealthier Christians, share your wealth with brothers and sisters who have less. And he is reminding them that the only reason they have wealth to begin with is the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ. At an international level, is there a “fair balance” of wealth among the nations?

When religion and patriotism combine in the national ego, we come to believe that what we have is ours because we deserve it. A sense of national pride slips into national entitlement. But Paul is saying here what every Christian should understand: nothing we have actually belongs to us at all. Not one thing, including our very lives. All of it belongs to God. And the only reason we have what we have is because of God’s gracious love. And with the gifts of God comes the responsibility to share.

Reinhold Niebuhr wisely reminds us that no nation can escape the sin of pride. He, in fact, regarded nationalism as an expression of the biblical doctrine of original sin. Even in our best national moments, our actions are tainted by pride and self-aggrandizement; in our worst moments, moral constraint fails. Yet nations can, in varying degrees, act compassionately, even sacrificially. Let us pray this July 4^th for humility and wisdom and discernment among ourselves and our leaders. We pray for the courage to confess our failures and to truly long for God’s forgiveness. We pray for a true spirit of generosity and the sharing of our abundance, world-wide. And we pray that God may bring, even from the confusion and terror of war, that which is lasting and just and good.

AMEN.

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