A Sermon for Independence Day

 One of the words that most comes to mind when we celebrate Independence Day is freedom. Back in 1776, the people who had immigrated here from England and other parts of Europe officially became free from the tyranny of an oligarchical system of government that was oppressing them. They were free from taxation without representation. They were free from being told what kind of religion they should practice. They were free from the systemic forces that were keeping them from thriving in this new world.

 But their hard-earned freedom wasn’t just from something or somebody. It was also – and equally as important -  freedom for many things. In order to thrive as a new nation, our founding parents knew that they needed to stand for things, not just against them. So they drafted a Constitution that began the long process – and a process that is still underway - of securing freedom for all people – regardless of who they are, or who their people are.

 This distinction between freedom from and freedom for isn’t uniquely American, of course. As a matter of fact, it is at least as old as the Pentateuch section of the Hebrew scriptures. God rescued God’s people – the Israelites – from slavery in Egypt. And at first, the Israelites’ identity was tied to the Exodus – they were free from slavery… they were free from Pharoah.

 But the next challenge for them was to listen for God’s call for who and what they were free for. What might their community look like? In what principles would it be grounded? Of course, the 10 Commandments helped answer these questions. And many, many years later, Jesus narrowed them down to the most important two – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The freedom that God won for the Israelites during the Exodus - and the freedom that Christ won for the whole world through his life, death, and resurrection – was freedom for loving  God and our neighbors over and above anything or anybody else. Dare I say, even above our nation.

 To be patriotic is to celebrate the many “freedoms for” that we are so privileged to have here in the United States.  And to be a good patriot is to celebrate the people, culture, music, arts, landmarks, natural resources, and beauty of this great nation. And to be a good patriot is to recognize and honor those who in the past and present have dedicated their lives to various ways of serving the common good of our great nation, as well as to help create opportunities for future leaders to blossom.

 But we need to be careful not to confuse patriotism with American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism is the belief that God loves and blesses Americans and America more than other people or nations. Of course, this belief, among many problematic things, limits God’s sovereignty and power – as if God isn’t capable of loving all people and nations equally. With the Great Commandment at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is declaring that God’s mercy, grace, love, and favor is for all nations, not just Israel. In Jesus Christ, God’s abundant love and mission extended beyond – while still including - the original chosen people of Israel. Just because we love America more than any other nation doesn’t mean that God has to follow suit. Yes, God loves and blesses America, and that is something to celebrate. But it is not something to hoard.

 Another danger with American exceptionalism is that it can drift towards being a religion unto itself. One’s unwavering devotion and even worship of their nation, political party, or political ideals can begin to supplant their devotion and worship of God through Jesus Christ. The flag replaces the cross as the primary and ultimate symbol of freedom, and a political leader or ideology becomes the focus of people’s allegiance. In this scenario, one derives their identity, purpose, and meaning from their country more so than their baptism or other religious identifying mark.

 Whenever the people of Israel drifted into this blasphemous territory, God’s prophets called them back to the corrective that was first declared Moses not long after the Israelites gained freedom from slavery in Egypt :

 The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords… the great God, mighty and awesome…him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.

 When this same God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, he articulated what this sort of love might look like when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”

 I truly believe that the way for us to be the best Americans we can be is for us to first be the best Christians we can be. Our Christian faith gives us the “tools” so to speak for good citizenship. If we faithfully and courageously live out our baptismal covenant, which is grounded in the teachings of Jesus, I believe that we are helping make this country a better place to live. History tells us that our country – and all the countries of the world - needs God more than God needs our country. We must remember - nations are fragile; empires rise and fall. Left to their own devices, nations – just like the people of whom they are comprised - usually make a mess of things. But if we – the Church – can faithfully work to become the conscience – the moral compass-  of our nation, I think we will experience the fruits of that work more than ever. That way we can be free from the heresy of American Exceptionalism and free to listen for and respond to God’s will for us here in this remarkable country that we call home.

 We oftentimes reflect back on the “good ol’  days” of our nation. And indeed, there have been many. But Christian hope tells us that the best days always lie ahead. As we Christians faithfully participate in the ushering in of God’s kingdom here on earth, we will make way for God’s justice, righteousness, and peace to prevail in our community, in our nation, and in the world.