First faith, then patriotism: 7-3/4-10

In honor of America's numerically progressive birthday No. 234 this weekend, I invite you to think about patriotism's relationship to religion by listing for you some of my own notions about how, if at all, they relate:

* I am a Christian first before I am an American. Which is to say that my first allegiance is not to the U.S. Constitution or the U.S. government. Rather, my first allegiance is to the God whom I find most fully revealed in Jesus Christ. I don't see how it could be otherwise without making my country an idol. And what is all sin ultimately if not idolatry?

* And yet I am, I hope, a patriotic American. I love this country and have understood its appeal and value more because I have spent time outside its borders -- sometimes for just a few hours, sometimes for a day or two, sometimes for weeks and once for nearly two years.

* One reason I love America is that as a citizen here I have religious freedom. I can stand on a street corner and preach, if I want. I can choose any faith or none. I can publically express my faith commitment. I need not follow the religion of the state because there is no state religion. This is a rare and wonderful condition, for which we should express more thanks than we usually do.

* As an American I am even free to start a new religion. The formation of new religions happens with a fair amount of regularity. Perhaps the most numerically successful example is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons. I personally have no need to start a new religion, but am thrilled to live in a country where that's possible.

* I am respectful of the reality that religion played a major role in the founding of this country but am thankful that our founders did not want the government to be in charge of promoting one religion over another.

* I grew up in a church in which you could find both the Christian flag and the American flag displayed in the sanctuary. I used to think that made sense. I don't think so now. Rather, I think it encourages people to confuse patriotism with religious commitment. There's a big difference. I hope you know that. I used the provocative illustration of the American flag with a Christian cross on it here today as a way of noting that we must be careful about not imagining that this is officially a Christian nation, despite the fact that a large majority of Americans still say they are Christians.

* I'm glad we've entered -- or are entering -- the post-modern, post-Christian age in which the Constantinian church is dead or dying. I think that frees the church to be freer to use its prophetic voice to show people what's gone wrong in our country and our culture so it can be repaired. The age when it was assumed that the people who ran the country were the people who showed up for church each Sunday is over. Good. People of faith are thus liberated to be more authentic.

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A GOOD PAPAL APPOINTMENT

The Vatican has made a wise choice of the bishop to handle relations with Jews and with people of other faiths. Bishop Kurt Koch of Switzerland will head the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, replacing Cardinal Walter Kasper, who served in the position for 11 years. Kasper has done creditble work, even while sometimes hampered by popes who said or did things that complicated his job. Given the crucial importance of developing interfaith understanding and cooperation, this is a key post and by all indications is going to someone well equipped to handle it. Good move, Pope Benedict XVI. This blog entry of Dennis Coday, online editor of the National Catholic Reporter, talks about Kasper's resignation and Koch's appointment and links readers to a longer piece by John L. Allen Jr. that puts some of this in perspective.