It’s not at all uncommon for churches to observe the Fourth of July. Today, I passed a church building whose grounds were lined with American flags. Yet such practices have increasingly come under fire as some form of political idolatry. Scot McKnight addresses this issue in a recent blog post. He begins with three preliminary statements in defense of celebrating the Fourth of July:
The most critical of celebrating July 4th on Sunday are progressive evangelicals and liberals.
The defining characteristic of progressive evangelicals and liberals is justice.
Celebrating freedom and release from oppression and reveling in the achievement of peace and justice are God-directed in the Bible.
McKnight suggests that the Fourth of July can be a day to raise awareness in the worldwide sense. He concludes by writing:
“Frankly, I can’t think of a better place to celebrate with thanksgiving before God for freedom and justice than in a church, in a place that focuses our attention on God, and in a place where a cross puts before us the price to be paid for those who want that final and full justice.”
Personally, I couldn’t agree more that the flag should not be confused as some type of “liturgical symbol,” just as I would also agree that not all references to our nation need to be construed as a form of unrestrained nationalism or political idolatry.
Derek Webb sings, “my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man, but to a King and a kingdom.” While I couldn’t agree more, I’d certainly add that the love for God and country are not mutually exclusive.
I support the involvement of Christians in the political arena. Caution and concern are justified when such involvement becomes obsessive, most typically indicated by the kinds of back-biting and finger-pointing that dominate political message boards or Facebook groups.
So while I think there’s excellent reason to be cautious on the issues of politics, I see no reason why the Fourth of July cannot be a day to set aside our many, many (many) arguments about what’s wrong with America, and rightly honor and celebrate the many things that are so very right with America.