Loving our Country
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
I John 4:18
As we near the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation, I ask myself, how can I love my country best? Jesus never spoke of patriotism or fidelity to country but the natural consequence of his Great Commandment to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves should lead us to love our nation as well.
The land itself is certainly easy to admire, with its rich diversity of topographies, two coasts, mountains, the beautiful island of Hawaii and the magnificence of Alaska. This vast land remarkable. To love the land is simple but hard: we must get much better at caring for it by reducing our pollution and consumption.
But what of the nation itself? The United States of American began with a beautiful vision. Even the founding fathers, many of whom were Episcopalian, could not see the breadth and depth of that vision. It was much greater and far reaching than they themselves understood. The concept that all people are created equal and have basic human rights-this was a revelation! Even though they didn’t include women or people of color at the time, God heard the true vision and though we are closer to its fulfillment, we still have a long way to go.
Certainly, something doesn’t have to be perfect for me to love it. When I love my spouse, I don’t love only his good parts. I love who he aspires to be. I love the person that God made. I try to support his efforts to better himself. I accept his faults but also challenge him at times. I stick it out with him. I give him my undivided attention regularly. That is what love looks like. It is something that you DO not something that you FEEL. Love is never blind. Love sees and supports and challenges and works hard for the beloved.
And, perhaps most importantly, as John wrote thousands of years ago in his first letter to the early Christians, love casts out fear. If we spend our time in fear or in despair, we are not loving adequately. To love this country, we must be active, vote, debate, pray and volunteer. To love is to hope and to act on that hope. To love is to do something to make this country better. Love is not anxious or complaining or blaming or scrolling. Love is found in the choice to devote yourself to someone.
On this 250th anniversary, I pray for this nation, and I promise to devote myself to the vision that was cast back then and still rings true today: that all people are created equal and have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
