a biblical patriotism

What I want to suggest here is a biblical patriotism.  There are many senses in which the word ‘patriotism’ is used, so I want to make it clear that I don’t necessarily subscribe to whatever sense you’ve got in mind.  What I do subscribe to is an attitude toward my country which I believe to be based on the revealed word of God.  And I’m calling it ‘biblical patriotism.’  If you have a better suggestion for what it should be called, I’d be happy to hear you on this.  Here’s an outline of some Scriptures and what I believe they tell us:

1.  Jeremiah 29:5-7.

These verses were originally given to the Jewish people after God had sent them into exile living in their enemy’s land.

“Build houses and settle down;  plant gardens and eat their produce.  Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so they also may become the parents of sons and daughters–so that you may be increased there, and not diminished.  And seek the well-being of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Jehovah for it, for in its well-being you will have well-being.”

When the Jews were carried away into the land of their enemies, God told them that rather than reacting naturally by wishing to be bitter and sabatoging the empire, they were to rather seek to help their new communities.  And I believe that the underlying principles that would cause God to speak that way to his People over 2000 years ago still apply today.

God has put us as Christians in communities where he wants us to be, and it is his will that we seek the well-being of our neighborhoods, of our cities, of our states or provinces, and of our nations.  And there so I believe that all believers in all nations are called to act out of love for their countries, even if those countries are not run in a Christian manner.

And this is because biblical patriotism is not founded in an ethnocentric feeling that our nation is a perfect nation, superior to all others.  It is founded on the Scriptural belief that God has placed us here for a reason, and that he loves us, and he loves our nation, and that he wishes to express his love for our nation through us–that we are to take part in the economic life of our countries and seek for their well-being.  It becomes not a hostile or paranoid love for our countries, but rather an expression of God’s design for us.

2.  Matthew 22:21

If you don’t know the story where this occurs, go read the surrounding verses in Matthew 22.

“Then Jesus said to them, Therefore give to Caesar the things which belong to Caesar, and to God the things which belong to God.”

Pay taxes.  Because Jesus said so.  To cheat on your taxes is to disobey Jesus.  It is part of our role in the nations where God has put us.

3.  Romans 13:1-7

This is a bit of a longer passage.  But it explains that God has put the government of our nations in place for a purpose, which Paul explains, and that it is God’s will for us to cooperate with them.

“Let every soul be in submission to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except what is established by God.  Therefore who ever resists the authority resists what God has put in place.  Those who resist will receive condemnation.  For rulers are not a terrifying thing to good works, but to what is evil.  So do you want to be unafraid of authority?  Do what is good, and you will receive praise from the authorities.  For the ruler is a minister of God send to you for good.  But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword for nothing–he is a servant of God, a revenger to execute fury on the doer of evil.  So you need to submit, not only because this fury, but also for the sake of your conscience.  And for this reason you pay taxes also, because they are servants of God, attending continually to this very thing.  So give to all what is owed them–tribute to whom tribute is due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.^“

And that is the living word of God for us today.  Amen.

Conclusion:

God has put us in our countries to perform the duties of good citizens, including paying taxes and obeying laws, and to do what we can for the good of our communities and nations.  To live in this way is our holy duty, going hand in hand with our worship of God, and earning for the word of God respect throughout the world.

It’s an exciting responsibility God has entrusted to his Church–to survive the balancing act that is being in the world but not of the world, to interact with the world for its good, without being sucked into its seductions.

Think about it.