As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s birthday, it is a fitting time (as if
we need to wait for a fitting time) to think about the welfare of our nation.
This touches close to home as Rita and I have just returned from the Gulf
Coast. Fortunately the oil spill has not reached the sugar white sands of
Panama City Beach, but as we all know there are many places now where
the oceans are not “white with foam”. Instead a rusty, brownish tar now
covers many places. To say “it’s a shame” is an understatement. Now, I’m
not encouraging a reactionary attitude. I know it’s too easy to be an
arm-chair quarterback and take pot-shots at all those other people who
have made this mess. While this might make me feel better for a little while,
I don’t think it would make much difference in the grand scheme of things.
So what would?

I believe this is a time when genuine patriotism – Love for our country –
could make a difference. Unfortunately it seems that patriotism in many
places is not exactly politically correct these days. It now seems to be in
vogue for people to kick and criticize our country. Please understand I’m
not advocating an intolerant arrogance with a “my country, love it or leave
it” kind of attitude. There are other options. Patriotism does not have to be
an exclusive attitude. It can be like one of my favorite patriotic hymns, This
Is My Song, sings, “O hear my song, thou God of all the nations, a song of
peace for their land and for mine.”

There is, in fact, a lot right with loving our country, and it doesn’t have to
slide into a form of civil religion that distorts the Gospel of Jesus Christ for
which we stand. Instead I believe the founders of our country hoped for a
nation where religion and patriotism could actually compliment one another.
The “Freedom of Religion” of which our Constitution speaks so eloquently is
very different from the “Freedom from Religion” that seems to be the
prevailing stance of many in our society today. Instead true love for our
country is best fostered by a sense that as “God so loves the world”
including our country … so also should we.

It is in this spirit that we are searching for a way that we can help deal
with this tragedy. I know that simply cleaning-up a physical mess is not the
only beauty restoration with which we need to be concerned, but as we rally
together to help our fellow Americans, we will also experience a beauty of
spirit that I think “America the Beautiful” is really singing about. So, in the
same spirit that made July 4th a national holiday, I call our congregation to
war … Tar Wars, that is … and we need your help to discover a way that
we as a congregation can not only help clean-up the oil spill but also make
America Beautiful. If you have an idea, please contact me:
cdenson@forestlakeumc.org or 758-6667. Thanks!

Chris