The Patriot

I’m blaming a Facebook link to an article that I didn’t even read for “forcing” me to write this post.  It had side-by-side pictures of Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.  The blurb below the pictures said Melania Trump’s Big Difference from Michelle Obama:  American Pride.  The writer, Breitbach, obviously considers Melania to show superiority on the American Pride rating scale. 

Before that, during my morning Bible reading in Nehemiah and in three reference books following I thought a lot about patriotism and nationalism.  One of the reference books described Nehemiah as a patriot.  I don’t have any quibbles with that characterization.  He was serving God by serving the people God had called to be his representatives on earth during the Old Testament era.  Those people happened to be part of one nation.  What I do have a quibble with is taking a giant leap from Nehemiah's day to 2016 and assuming that patriotism is evidence of godliness, that American pride is a great virtue, or that at the very least it is evidence of being on the right side of political speech making in a presidential election convention. 

Christians who are excessively nationalistic (a synonym for patriotic) are stuck in Old Testament patterns.  Jesus, in the New Testament calls for loyalties not defined by national boundaries.  The people of God live in many places.  Some of them live in America, but most do not.  Being loyal to God and to the people of God calls for placing loyalty to any country in a lesser position. 

The New Testament standard calls for all to unite under the standard of salvation through Jesus.  When His life transforms from within, it becomes possible to live as we are instructed to live:  love your neighbors and your enemies, give to the poor, forgive those who wrong you, welcome the stranger, honor your rulers and pray for them, be humble, be honest, pay your debts, be faithful to your spouse, provide for and train your children, don’t commit adultery, love God with all your heart, be kind.  “Be patriotic” is not included.

In the current election cycle, I see very few of the above Christian graces in evidence in the major candidates—certainly nothing that compels me to go to any pains to sing their praises or further their agendas.  I think doing so makes far too little of what pleases our Heavenly Father.  The opposite is problematic too—lobbing one rude, critical salvo after another in the direction of any candidate.  This is not the way of Christ either.  Seldom has it been as obvious as this year that Christians do well to advance on their knees rather than joining the political fracas.  The din out there is deafening, and withdrawing from it makes it easier to hear the voice of the Father. 

After having studied and taught through the first seven chapters of Nehemiah, I have made 70 observations about Nehemiah under the heading “Nehemiah Models Effective Godly Leadership.” If God works a miracle, maybe someday such a list can be made with the name of America’s next president substituting for Nehemiah.  Right now I’d settle for five by the end of the week.  It’s time to get back to praying, my duty to the people of God everywhere.