Patriotism

By REV. JIM PURCELL

These days, I regard the expressions and concepts surrounding patriotism by some people as more of a symptom of a serious underlining mental health problem or a cry for help rather than anything remotely involved with serving or protecting one's country.

You see, in the America I grew up in, which included many years in military academies early on, I was taught and came to believe patriotism was unconditional. It was the kind of love that one may have for a parent or child. It is unshakable. Whether the parent or child was right or wrong, had lost their way for a time, or was having a wonderful success -- everything came back to that unconditional love. Later on, and for many years, I served the United States in the Army, and what patriotism is became an everyday concept for me. Patriotism isn't a few minutes of putting your hand over your heart at ball games, it is a way to live and a system for loving your country come what may.

As an American, I have prayed very often for God to show His grace over our nation. Never once did I expect it, or demand that God do this, much less order him to bless America, regardless of how we conducted ourselves as Americans. I do not think God would like that too much, you see. As He is the boss and not me, it strikes me that he might get upset by me believing I was the boss and telling him what to do.

Well, now the scene has been set.

If patriotism was unconditional love, the kind of which one felt for their mother and father or child before, patriotism today is demonstrated by many as the love one might feel for their new boyfriend or girlfriend. It is the kind of "love" that is new and unpracticed; the kind of love that has not yet weathered hard times and may well not stand up to any significant test. It is the kind of love where a man tells his girlfriend, 'If you don't wear that blue shirt instead of the red shirt then I will not love you anymore.' If the boyfriend wants to go to a Knicks game, it is the love where the woman will tell her man that she does not wish to go to the Knicks game and, if he does, he can sleep on the street.

You see, when someone believes that they must be furious with their country because a black person, or a Conservative person or a Liberal person is elected as president, then there was actually never any love for this country from that person in the first place. Either someone will support and defend their nation all the time, no matter if something is happening they do not like or something they like is happening -- then they are not a patriot.

A wonderful example of patriotism that has stood the test of time for me dates back to ancient Macedonia and the rule of Alexander of Macedonia (b. 365 BCE) (commonly called "Alexander the Great"). Well, Alexander was making his case to the people of Athens about why they must, collectively, fight the Persians for there to be any real safety in the world for the Hellenes. He said he intended to launch a great invasion of Persia, and he wanted Athenian support. Well, there was a politician and orator in Athens, by the name of Demosthenes, who disagreed vehemently with Alexander, so much so Alexander and Demosthenes were considered political opponents of the highest order.

While Demosthenes' isolationist argument did find friends in government and in the people, ultimately Athens sided with Alexander and the invasion was planned. Now comes the part of the story that is hard to find today. Rather than march off and grumble under his breath about the injustice of his failure, Demosthenes did not denounce his country, its leaders or the state. He did not wish to usurp the state because the greatest number of people did not find virtue with his point of view. Instead, Demosthenes the Athenian did what Athenians did during times of war: He joined the Army as a private soldier. He fought in the first rank of Greeks against the Persians, and he died in the war he fought so hard to attempt to avert. You see, Athens was the home of Demosthenes, whether the state was right or wrong. Demosthenes was a citizen of the Athenian state, without any doubt, and his love for his homeland was not counted in how many times he got his way, but instead by how many times he served his community, in war or peace. This is not the love of country that occurs in the United States today by reactionary people.

God will not love America first, before all countries, if America makes torture its policy, intolerance its calling card, ignorance its first response to the unknown. If America is still an empire, as some still argue, then any empire whereby torture, intolerance and ignorance, matched to wars of convenience and commerce, cannot stand nor will it be considered an empire for the better. Rather, such an empire is an 'Evil Empire,' right out of Star Wars. I believe I know a thing about being an America. She is the great love of my life and I have served her in uniform and out and appreciate my homeland very much. God blessed me by allowing me to be born here, and I am thankful.

I appreciate my homeland so much, I would never torture for her, not hate for her or fail to serve in her Army should she call. I love her so much, I would lose a political argument and then, in the wake of my loss, come back together with my rival for the sake of a stronger country, a united country.

I will not bark at my Creator, the God of my understanding, as a yappy dog or a petulant child trying to hold my breath and have my way about who is president, or who is elected to the Congress. I would say my piece, do what I could and love my country throughout.

Where it involves the policies of war crimes and torture, race hatred and ignorance of some, I could not, as a Christian, sanction these; nor would I countenance protecting anyone at any level of office in my land, or in anyone's land, being protected from prosecution nor exempted from punishment where found guilty. And, if candidates in political forums run on these things to get to office, are elected and do these things as part of their positions, I say the same only louder.

Patriotism is unconditional love of the land someone comes from, and such love is focused through the right decisions of actual Christianity -- not hysterical Christianity, pro-Christian cults or fringe Christian groups who deny the written word of their faith, nor the fanatical preachings of their own conscience. Patriotism must be viewed through the lamp of conscience and God, and when it is not it becomes dangerous fanaticism and a harmful thing -- a wildfire through a forest.

In the good old days, people feared the Lord and lived their personal lives as an example, or they tried. They did not try and force the word or wisdom of the Lord on others, as the greatest sin is to pretend to know the mind of the Lord God. They did not bark at God. They did not seek war for its own sake and they did not seek to commit crimes in war, outlawed by world agreement. No, this nation does not look or sound or act like the nation I knew growing up: it is radicalized, indignant, diminished, mad at times and drunk with greed. Still, it is my nation. Like a wind, people and causes come and go. However, I will celebrate when these terrible times have gone, and look to that day.