Reflections on America at 250

The famous scene of raising the flag after the Battle of Iwo Jima

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States, I've been thinking about the role of patriotism in the life of a Christian. There are two extremes to avoid.

First, we should keep the Kingdom of God and the United States distinct. Sometimes we fret over certain laws or national trends as if the very fate of Christianity were at stake. Augustine addressed this in his seminal work, The City of God, written after Rome was sacked by the Visigoths and Christians fell into dismay. We must never forget that nations rise and fall, but the Kingdom of God endures forever.

Second, patriotism and love of country are not bad things, but good things. They bind us to our communities and express neighborly love. We ought not to be detached and remote, but deeply involved in and concerned with local and national affairs.

And so, as Christians, we maintain a dynamic tension. On the one hand, we are the very best of citizens—law-abiding and laboring for our nation's prosperity. On the other hand, we are citizens of a greater Kingdom, and there our ultimate loyalty lies. And so we live as dual citizens until the age to come.