Independence Day

It was hot outside on this July 3 Sunday morning, 80 degrees at 10 am, with temperatures pushing up to the mid-90s. The flowers exploded on the altar--blood red roses, blue hyacinths and white carnations in celebration of our nation’s independence. As I sang the processional hymn—America the Beautiful—I smiled at my fellow parishioners doing the same. “I love this country,” I thought, quite proud, and not a little grateful, to be an American. I was thinking, here we are at little St. Dunstan’s out in the woods, the all of us, the few of us, and we are what America is all about, our little community, taking advantage of the right to worship as we please, every single one of us, in the pursuit of life, liberty, freedom and peace.

But I admit it didn’t take long before my pride in being an American took an unexpected turn. Listening to the sermon this morning, I found myself quite proud to be a Christian, too. As a citizen of a nation, I love my country. (I imagine citizens of oppressive lands feel the same even though they may not particularly like their government).

But unlike my natural love for homeland, I am proud to be a Christian because as such I am reminded what is really is best about that homeland. “Time and time again in scripture we are told that God measures the greatness of a nation not by its military might, not by the wealth of its richest citizens, not by its technological or scientific accomplishments,” Patricia said. “God’s judgment of a nation is based on very different indicators—how a nation treats the poorest of the poor, the ones Jesus calls ‘the least of these.’”

In the Book of Common Prayer our Independence Day prayers remind us to be thankful for our nation and to repent where we have fallen short as its citizens, said Patricia. And I think her sermon served to remind us of that it is our duty as Christians (let alone Christians in the wealthiest nation on earth), it is our job to protect and care for our widows and orphans, especially in this time of national economic emergency when 25% of our children live in poverty, when our measure of poverty for a family of four is $22,000 a year income, and when families who have lost their homes live in cars so that they won’t be separated because homeless shelters don’t take men and women together.

As Christians, it is our job to not turn our backs on the “least of these.” Our nation too often falls short on that. Patricia cited an example down the highway in Lawrenceville where city councilman Tony
Powell noticed the school bus picking up an estimated 200 children from several extended stays motels. His solution to this problem of families with no place to live except cheap motels? Kick them out.
More than a decade ago as county attorney he got an ordinance passed that limited motel stays to 45 days, but it has never been enforced. Now he intends to make sure it is.

Powell's actions are clearly wrong and even more than wrong, it’s just plain mean what that man attempted to do. As Christians, I think our values and beliefs have the potential to make us even better Americans who love and protect our country even more deeply than we do by birthright. And I think that means, in part, doing our civic duty to prevent bullies like the city councilman from hurting helpless families on the brink of complete disaster.

I am also proud to be a Christian because our ministers and pastors and priests, our bishops and nuns write letters to our Congress to speak on behalf of our widows and orphans, to remind our lawmakers what the “most moral measure” of a budget debate should be—“how the most poor and vulnerable people fare.” And I am proud to be an American beyond natural instinct, I am proud to be an American because we have and often exercise our ability to do truly great things, acts of kindness and compassion with which God is most certainly well pleased.

I’ll leave you with the Matthew reading from this morning—it’s one that everyone knows but I never tire of hearing it or pondering its meaning or how I can better put it into effect in my life (I’ll note,
I do fall very short on this one all the time but it’s definitely the goal):

Jesus said, “You have heard that if was said, ‘You shall love your neighborhood and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemy 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. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.