As a Christian and a military officer, one of the things that I have had to think through is the relationship between my patriotism to my earthly country and my allegiance to the kingdom of God. This weekend is Memorial Day in the USA. It is a time that we show appreciation for members of our military, especially those who have been killed in the service of their country. It is, then, an appropriate time to share this article from Kevin DeYoung, which is helpful in thinking through the issues of allegiance to our earthly country and God's kingdom.
To summarize, his points are:
1. Being a Christian does not remove ethnic and national identities.
2. Patriotism, like other earthly “prides,” can be a virtue or vice.
3. Allegiance to God and allegiance to your country are not inherently incompatible.
4. God’s people are not tied to any one nation.
5. All this leads to one final point: while patriotism can be good, the church is not a good place for patriotism.
read the rest here.
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