third of three

so we're very stubborn and simple people.

i suspect many will disagree with me, but it's not the government's job, especially in a secular entity such as a democratic republic, that is to say a non-theocratic nation, to acknowledge God in its rhetoric or its symbols. is it a nice thought? for many it certainly is, and one that provides a great deal of comfort. both the level and the type of comfort that come with this issue, however, are potentially dangerous to anyone who has a desire to cultivate a faith that is alive on a level deeper than the surface.

people are so worried about God being acknowledged by the government or being a part of the pledge of allegiance, or whatever, nearly seeming to take personal offense when that acknowledgement is threatened, it's sort of ridiculous. i bet that nobody even asked God if he wanted to be in our silly pledge, not because he wouldn't want to be glorfied, but because he wouldn't want to be co-opted into something that is far less than what he is. don't get me wrong, i love our country and i love God, but what bugs me is that when we tie God up with every hokey lil patriotic sign or banner, we elevate america to a level equal with God or we diminish God to a level equal with our country, idolatry on one hand and blasphemy on the other, not so warm and fuzzy anymore, is it?

when people's fights for faith are over stuff like this that is because of the context, in the final analysis, trivial, the strength of witness is weakened, not strengthened. one thing tony campolo says from time to time is that america is babylon, it's the best babylon, but it's babylon nevertheless, and that when our focus is on babylon, it is necessarily not on God's kingdom. i suspect God wouldn't care if he was acknowledged by any nation in its rhetoric and symbols if those of us inhabiting that nation who purported to represent him did a better job acknowledging him with the way we lived.

there, i'm finished.

feeling: marginalized
thinking of: the scourge of real simplicity
music: "americanism" MxPx