“Is it okay to put my hand over my heart when someone sings the national anthem?” 

“Should I stand, take off my hat, and ‘honor America’?”

“Should I pledge allegiance to the flag?”

Growing up, I did all three of these things without a second thought. More than that, I did them because it felt right and good. I grew up in America. My grandfather served in the Navy. I have an uncle who served in the FBI, lived near DC, and always decked out his house for the 4th of July. I’ve celebrated July 4th for decades. I’d get goosebumps when someone sang, “I’m proud to be an American” while fireworks exploded above my head. Not to mention, at sporting events, the National Anthem was one of the few moments of unity and solidarity I experienced in our very divided country, even in stadiums filled with people supporting opposing teams.

More than that, I was in high school when 9/11 happened. I watched the news all day, even in school. Watching the Twin Towers fall, the Pentagon burning, and coverage from the burn scar in Pennsylvania filled me with anger and hurt, as if I was there. If I had been old enough, I would have signed up for the military that day—to defend this country. Many of my older friends did. One of them died in the war.

Maybe more than any other event, 9/11 was the most Americanizing of my experiences. Political party walls broke down for a few days. Churches were filled with people from all walks of life. There was a palpable unity that I could feel, at least in my circles. And maybe that’s when I truly became an American—not just someone from America, but someone who identified with red, white, and blue as a core part of who I was. Although, looking back on this experience now, I have to admit that my experience was not everyone’s experience. It’s important to note that, unfortunately, there were also many people who were treated harshly and violently because of the color of their skin or for wearing a head-covering in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. For me, 9/11 made me an American. For them, they were treated as if they weren’t. 

So, in my life, it was a really big deal when these questions started surfacing:  

“Is it okay to put my hand over my heart when someone sings the national anthem?” 

“Should I stand, take off my hat, and ‘honor America’?”

“Should I pledge allegiance to the flag?”

The answers for much of my life have been, “absolutely!” 

But in recent years, reading Genesis, learning about Jesus, his mom, and reading other New Testament authors like Paul and Peter, have raised these questions. Here are some of the ways I’ve been struggling through these questions, and some conclusions I’m leaning toward.

 

1. People from all nations are, first and foremost, God’s kids.

Specifically, the story of the Bible begins in Genesis where it describes our true and most important identity as God’s very good creations, his kids. The Bible goes on to suggest this identity goes beyond what nation we’re a part of. In fact, it specifically applies to all people from all nations, including our enemies. And, at the end of the story of the Bible, Revelation describes worship to God that includes people from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues (Revelation 7). So, whatever our national identity, it pales in comparison to our spiritual identity. 

 

2. We’re citizens of a new kingdom. 

I’ve also noticed how much Jesus talks about the new kingdom, and how believers are a part of this new kingdom. We are born into this new kingdom when we put our faith in Christ (John 3:3), and that new kingdom-membership becomes our primary membership. We become citizens of this new kingdom (Ephesians 2:19), and it’s a kingdom that goes beyond the borders of one nation or country. This new kingdom is peacemaking, forgiving, and becomes our first allegiance. It requires forgiveness of our enemies and defense of the poor, the needy, and foreigners. As Christians, we belong to this new kingdom above and beyond any other kingdom, including a nation like America.  

 

3. The new kingdom has larger boundaries than earthly “kingdoms.” 

Jesus’s mom, Mary, in one of the most beautiful poems in the Bible, described a reversal of power that exchanged the powerful on their thrones for the lowly and poor (Luke 1). In fact, the Bible often talks about what the citizens of this new kingdom look like—the weak, poor, merciful, and pure in heart (Matthew 5). In another story, Peter declares obedience to God over obedience to the leaders of his nation who were questioning him (Acts 5:29). And, when we look at the life of Paul, we see someone who lived in a way that didn’t disrespect government authority, but he still showed his allegiance to Jesus over allegiance to Rome or Israel.  Finally, the Bible is full of invitations to show love and hospitality to the stranger or foreigner, making the kingdom of heaven seems a whole lot broader than our earthly boundaries.

 

4. Where should my loyalty lie? 

When I look at all these examples together, I’m forced to ask questions about where my loyalty lies. When I read the New Testament, I’m convicted by the call to unity as believers. I think this means unity as Christians takes precedent over any affiliation to a particular party. So, if there are followers of Jesus on all ends of the political spectrum (spoiler alert: there are), it’s important for them to come to a place of unity over their mutual love for God, despite any political differences (Ephesians 4). I also see a clear call to love God and others as a higher priority than love for a nation (Matthew 22:36-40). If my politics get in the way of my love for God or my neighbor, it’s my politics that need to be held in check. 

And finally, I’m struck by my identity as a child of God over any label like “American.” I can appreciate and care about America, but if my “American” label gets in the way of my love for God or others, or confuses my identity as God’s child or my citizenship in God’s kingdom, it’s my “Americanism” that must be held in check. 

So going back to my questions:  

“Is it okay to put my hand over my heart when someone sings the national anthem?” 

“Should I stand, take off my hat, and ‘honor America’?”

“Should I pledge allegiance to the flag?”

 

5. All earthly allegiances must be held loosely compared to our allegiance to God.

This is one of those areas that requires each of us to pray and ask God for guidance, and perhaps it depends on the motives of my heart.  Because my heart belongs to God, not America. I should love and honor God and love and honor others first, before I show any respect or honor to a particular country. And if I do pledge allegiance to the flag, it must be with the caveat that my allegiance to God and the well-being of others matters more. 

What do you think? We’d love to hear how you are processing these ideas, especially in light of the celebration of July 4th. Comment on social to keep the conversation going.