The following photos were taken during our local Memorial Day parade. The parade ended at the corner on our street. Although I had to stay home and rest while Rosalind was napping (poor me), The bands and the fire trucks were as loud as ever, and the boys were able to watch along with Daddy and Aunt Becky. Since there's so much space here, I have a few comments regarding "Patriotic Christianity" that I want to get off my chest, so here they are. By the way, your comments are welcome!
Memorial Day has come and gone, and my thoughts on the occasion are somewhat mixed. I have no problem with the purpose or reason for the holiday itself. I appreciate the people who have served our country and I find it totally appropriate to respect the memory of those who died serving our country. I enjoy parades and fireworks and the Fourth of July. I can even appreciate the parallels that can be made between those who gave their lives for our freedoms and Christ, who gave His life for our freedom from sin. What seems to get my goat is that we as American Christians seem to have married that concept to the point that our worship on those "patriotic Sundays" becomes blurred into a worship of God and country. To me, it feels wrong to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag in a Sunday church service. That's something I expect at a civil event or in a public school classroom, not at a time or place dedicated to worshiping the Almighty Creator of the Universe. I could even do without some verses of the patriotic hymns we sing, and especially without some of the more modern attempts to praise God for America. Call me unpatriotic if you must; my citizenship is in heaven above! I don't have any statistics, but I would venture to guess that most Christians in this world are not American citizens either, and frankly would be unable to make a connection based on Scripture for the purpose of patriotism in the act of worship. Comments and responses are welcome here...
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