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I (Gladly) Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America
…And to the republic for which it stands
Is devotion to one’s country incompatible with our call to make Christ preeminent in our lives? Many Christians believe so.
In a recent piece for the Medium publication Koinonia, Grant Bullert declared:
“Patriotism is, in all truth, a concept that is altogether incongruent with the Kingdom of God.”
You can read his full essay at the link below:
What follows is my response to Mr. Bullert’s piece (see above). This response is written mainly for readers who share the same faith that is held by both Mr. Bullert and myself. And, in fairness to Mr. Bullert, I encourage you to read his essay in its entirety.
I also want to make clear that I consider Grant Bullert a brother in Christ and, while I disagree with him strongly (as you’ll see), I do not wish to cast aspersion on him personally. I am sure he and I would enjoy great times of fellowship and friendly debate.
Nevertheless, I believe the implications of what he has to say need to be called out. And that is what I aim to do in my response.
Mr. Bullert is (sadly) not alone in his sentiments. Patriotism has been on a steady decline in the American church in recent years, especially among millennial believers. Of course, patriotism is on the decline with millennials in general.
This should concern you if you care about living in a prosperous, stable, and safe country.
A nation full of citizens who don’t care about or who have no sense of commitment to that nation is a nation not long for this earth.
