4th of July

Ron Simkins – July 4, 2023 5 Comments

I appreciate how pastor emeritus Ron Simkins thinks deeply about complex issues, and more importantly, how he continues to seek Jesus’ leading in every area of life.-Renée

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN FOLLOWING JESUS on the 4th of July, 2023?

When I don’t place my hand on my heart during the national anthem, or when I don’t say anything while people “pledge allegiance” to the flag of the United States of America, I am sometimes asked, ”Aren’t you proud to be an American?” In my willful ignorance, I once was “proud to be an American; so, I do know what it is like to be extremely proud to be an American. Unfortunately, it usually involves a level of willful ignorance. Now, having faced many truths that I once did not wish to know, I know that I am very privileged to be a White, Male, Middle Class, Heterosexual American. For a follower of Jesus, being very privileged should not be the same as being proud.

How can I be proud to be an American when we are treating immigrants terribly even though God’s Torah said many times to “love” them and treat them like your own? In fact, 1 Peter begins the letter reminding us that following Jesus should make us “aliens and sojourners” as we live among the “nations/Gentiles.” That is not easy to do when you are among those the Empire privileges at the expense of others. It is so easy to forget that I am following a Jesus who was harassed from birth by the ruler of his nation. I am following a Jesus who began life forced by his national leaders to be an immigrant in a foreign land. Jesus then grew up and lived his life without any citizenship rights in a land occupied by foreign military police soldiers. I am following a Jesus who took stands that caused him to be harassed by both conservative church leaders (Sadducees) and progressive church leaders (Pharisees) of his day. And, I am following a Jesus who was executed with the cooperation of conservative church leaders, progressive church leaders, and the “best” Empire in the world.

How can I be proud when our nation is escalating racial divides again even though we humans are all one race under God? How can I be proud when we are separating children from their parents and sending the children before judges alone – children Jesus said that it would be better to have been executed by drowning than to cause to stumble (Matthew 18)? How can I be proud when my fellow Christians think I am terrible for maintaining that we can only pledge allegiance to one kingdom—and as a Jesus follower it isn’t the USA? How can I be proud when as a nation we spend ½ of our budget on keeping our military police soldiers in over 200 countries world-wide? How can I be proud when our corporations exploit slave labor, and almost slave labor, all over the world and here in the USA? How can I be proud when we are cutting funding for babies, children, people with disabilities, mothers who choose not to have an abortion, kids who need help getting a college education so they can be productive in society – and calling it all “pro-life?” How can I be proud when we have filled our jails with non-white offenders many of whose “crimes” are minuscule compared to those of the rich and powerful who walk free or get a slap on the wrist? How can I be proud when we are opting out of environmental treaties that were lacking, but were far better than nothing as a way of preserving this incredible creation God has loaned us? How can I be proud when we still refuse to fully acknowledge or attempt some sort of reparation for the reality that our nation built its wealth on lands stolen from Native Americans and on the lives and labor stolen from enslaved, then later disenfranchised, African Americans? How can I be proud when many American Christians now want to be sure that their children are not taught these truths? How can I be proud when on the 4th of July I live in the richest country on earth, and I hear us crying about having to share a bit with others in our own country who are poor and oppressed—the treatment of whom the prophets said were the litmus test of whether God thought a nation should continue to be blessed or not? How can I be proud when “Christian” concerts draw much longer standing ovations for patriotic songs than they do for songs demanding that we follow Jesus? How can I be proud when American Christians think what is good for national security is what God wants even if it means mistreating people—even bombing fellow Jesus followers, all over the world?

Privileged to be an American? Yes, I am, and I should not forget it, Do I know that America and Americans have done some good things in the world? Yes, of course, I did pay attention in my history classes! I am not at all denying that! Proud?—How could I be if I take seriously Jesus’ teachings about treating others as I would like to be treated?