![\"american-flag\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/751\/2017\/05\/american-flag.jpg\")
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*Originally Published May 2014<\/p>\n
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A United States soldier processed the flag of the United States of America in to our sanctuary as we stood at attention singing \u201cGod Bless America.\u201d\u00a0 The veterans in our midst were honored as we sang the \u201cStar Spangled Banner.\u201d\u00a0 The \u201cBattle Hymn of the Republic\u201d proceeded the pastor\u2019s fiery sermon on the coming destruction of our beloved nation if we \u201c\u2026did not turn from our wicked ways.\u201d\u00a0 Somehow gays, abortion and popular culture always made it into these services\u2026but that is another story.\u00a0 The service concluded with an invitation to salvation as the congregation sang \u201cGod of Our Fathers.\u201d\u00a0 To say that the services of my Baptist youth were precariously wrapped in nationalism is an understatement\u2026we believed that God\u2019s military was the United States military.\u00a0 Despite the fact that we did so much else that was problematic, my mind remains focused on the United States flag on that gold stand up on the altar.<\/p>\n
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In many Memorial Day services throughout our nation, some of those who have fallen victim to our thirst for violence and power will be honored and celebrated.\u00a0 We will remember the soldiers and attempt to reconcile their sacrifice with our faith.\u00a0 Unfortunately, there will be little conversation about peace and preventing the deaths of any one else.\u00a0 There will be no conversation of the millions and millions of people who have died as a result of our failed foreign policies and military interventions.\u00a0 The words of Jesus will be forgotten amidst the words of patriotism and nationalism.<\/p>\n
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No one will recite Jesus\u2019 words in Matthew 26:52, \u201c\u2026those who live by the sword will die by the sword.\u201d\u00a0 Matthew 5:44 and Jesus\u2019 reminder to \u201clove our enemies and pray for those who persecute us\u201d will not make an appearance.\u00a0 Least of all will we remember the millions and millions of people who have died in places with names like Hiroshima, Hanoi, Waziristan, Nagasaki, Kabul and Baghdad in the infernos created by our bombs\u2026those \u201cleast of these\u201d dead because we failed to see Jesus in their midst.\u00a0 No these words won\u2019t be remembered\u2026 and I know most congregations won\u2019t be talking beyond the soldiers who have died and will miss the opportunity to have a conversation about the wider call of Jesus to peace and justice.<\/p>\n
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My mind wonders back to that flag though.\u00a0 To put the United States flag on the altar of a church is to insinuate that somehow the United States has a claim to the grace of God that other nations and peoples do not.\u00a0 To put the United States flag at the front blurs that glorious declaration \u201cFor God so loved the world\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Can you imagine what someone from another country thinks when they see that United States flag up front at our churches?\u00a0 There is no nationality barrier to the altar of God.\u00a0 Jesus does not love the United States more than any other nation\u2026to put a flag at the front and bless the atrocities committed by an incredibly powerful people in the name of Jesus is blasphemous.<\/p>\n
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A real conversation about the non-violent love of Jesus and our purpose as followers can only happen when we take down the United States flags in our sanctuaries that stand in the way.\u00a0 If we want to truly honor slain soldiers we will stop perpetuating the nationalism that killed them.\u00a0 So let\u2019s toss out all the flags and have a real Memorial Day next year\u2026one that memorializes and celebrates a time when we began to emulate Jesus\u2019 love for all people and put to death the nationalism that fooled us into thinking that violence can bring about peace.
\nAmen.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 *Originally Published May 2014 \u00a0 \u00a0 A United States soldier processed the flag of the United States of America in to our sanctuary as we stood at attention singing \u201cGod Bless America.\u201d\u00a0 The veterans in our midst were honored as we sang the \u201cStar Spangled Banner.\u201d\u00a0 The \u201cBattle Hymn of the Republic\u201d proceeded the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2509,"featured_media":5419,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[4153,609,1547,1810,2232,2640,3773,4417,4122],"class_list":["post-5418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freshwritings","category-thoughts","tag-blasphemy","tag-christianity","tag-heresy","tag-jesus","tag-memorial-day","tag-patriotism","tag-us","tag-us-flag","tag-us-military"],"yoast_head":"\n