God's Country: USA

If you've ever spent much time in the USA, you've no doubt heard it referred to as "the greatest country on earth." As an American, I have to admit that I've never really heard anyone else call it that. It's mostly Americans who live here that refer to it that way. But it's clear that we Americans are convinced it is the truth. The United States is "the greatest country on earth."

Frankly, it seems like a proverbial or prophetic statement of sorts. It's as if we are God's country - a special land chosen by God to receive His special favor. We have several favorite songs that usually end with a lyric that goes something like, "God bless the USA!" Of course. Why wouldn't He? After all, it's His chosen land. He's bestowed His special favor on it all along. Even historians agree, that when the US Declaration of Independence was signed, it changed the whole world.

The most powerful nation on earth. The greatest super power ever known. The richest country on earth. The largest economy on earth. The most generous nation on earth. America is typically described in superlatives. The world's peace keeper. Winner of World War I. Winner of World War II. Keeper of the peace around the globe. Defender of the oppressed. Helper of the poor. Most influential nation on earth.

It's almost as if we are the modern day equivalent to the Biblical role of the nation of Israel. If you've read your Bible, you know that Israel was God's chosen people. He intended to use them to influence and bless the whole world. But Israel's sin got in the way. They were disobedient. They were rebellious. They ignored God and His ways for them. So He had to wipe them out.

And then He sent Jesus. And God established a new Israel, comprised of all people from across the globe. Moreover, if you believe Americans, He apparently brought the head of those people together in a new nation called the United States of America. And He made it a great nation. And He blessed it beyond measure ... well beyond the blessing of any nation before it. Ever. And God used this new country to influence and bless the whole world. Just like He had planned to do with Israel. Isn't that it? Isn't that what Americans really believe deep down in our hearts?

But what if it's true? What if that is God's perspective on the whole deal? What if America is special, called, chosen, blessed and used by God to lead the whole world? Are we up for that responsibility? Do we have any comprehension at all of the ramifications such a role would have for each and every single one of us who call ourselves Americans?

In the Old Testament, we read the stories of Israel. It's victories and its failures are chronicled in great detail. King David was undoubtedly the greatest leader in all of Israel's history. He came closest to leading it successfully in its chosen role. He was the one who most pleased God with his performance (which isn't a bad performance appraisal to get). God called King David, "a man after my own heart." Apparently God saw something of Himself in David.

Now King David was no fool. He knew his role. He knew God's role. He knew his country's role and purpose. David never got distracted or confused about any of that. Perhaps the thing that most marked his success as a leader was the fact that he was able to keep the main thing the main thing. He and God were on the same page, pretty much all the time. It might be that this was what most pleased God about David's performance as king.

1 Chronicles 14:2 tells us that, "... David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel."

In other words, David knew that Israel was God's chosen people --- through whom God wanted to influence and bless the whole world, and in fact, all of humanity. David knew also that he was God's chosen leader for this special people. And he kept that role and purpose in mind as he went about his business. I imagine that when David got up in the morning, maybe he had some reminder on his Blackberry, "God's chosen one(s)." It was there to remind him. He looked at it while he shaved each morning. And he took it with him as he went out into the day to be king.

So let's spin forward to the 21st century, and the United States of America. Just suppose that the same is true. We are the greatest country on earth. And we are for a reason. Do you suppose that our "king" is aware of that, like David was? 1 Chronicles says that David knew. Elsewhere in the Bible when that word is used, it denotes much more than an awareness or familiarity. Rather it connotes the most intimate of knowledge, as in "he knew her and she bore him a son." So we can conclude that David's knowing was significantly more than just an awareness, a mindfulness or a familiarity.

What would it look like if Barack Obama had the most intimate of knowledge that America is the greatest country on earth ... and for a reason. He would, of course, also know that he is God's chosen man to run that country. Do you think it would cause him to conduct himself any differently than he does? Would he make decisions differently? Would he spend time differently? Would he be so worried about making sure enough Democrats win seats in the next election, for example?

What might George Bush's presidency have looked like if he had had such knowledge as King David had? Would we be at war in two different countries at once? Would we have reduced taxes for the rich, borrowed heavily, tortured war prisoners, etc.? Or what if Bill Clinton had had such knowledge? Would he have stopped thinking about tomorrow? Would he have focused on the definition of a preposition? Or how about George Bush Sr.? Or Ronald Reagan? Or Jimmy Carter? Or any of the other modern day presidents?

What if they each "knew that the LORD had established him as president over the new Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of God's people?" What difference might this knowledge have made in their respective presidencies? How might this knowledge have influenced their relationships with the House and Senate? How might this truth have impacted the transitions we've had from one presidency to another - or from one political power to another? What difference would it have made in our foreign policy decisions?

I have to confess that I don't know for sure if the USA is truly "the greatest country on earth." I'd like it to be true. I suppose that it's entirely possible that it is true. But frankly, I can't help but wonder if we Americans ... and our chosen leaders could really handle such responsibility. Perhaps we don't need to ask if the USA is "the greatest country on earth." Perhaps the better question to ask is whether or not it is ready for such an esteemed role.

Let Freedom Ring

Sometimes I wonder if people from other countries of the world could ever really grasp the paradigm that Americans live in. From the time we're toddlers, Americans are taught words like freedom and liberty. I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance in grade school, saluting the American flag.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America - and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The whole notion of freedom and liberty has been built into our conscious thinking in quite a number of ways. I could recite that pledge from memory even in first grade. Strangely enough, I learned this pledge, and was taught to own it, before I could really grasp much of anything else. For example, I knew and owned this pledge of allegiance before I ever really considered the question of God. I was pledging allegiance before I knew what loyalty and commitment were. I was pledging allegiance well before I knew who I was.

What does it mean to pledge allegiance? To anything or anyone? The dictionary says that a pledge is a solemn promise or agreement. Is a child really capable of making a solemn promise or agreement - when he still believes in Santa Claus and thinks it would be neat to have Sponge Bob for president?

And what is allegiance? The dictionary says that allegiance is loyalty or devotion. Have you ever seen a child be loyal or devoted to anything for more than five minutes? Consider where a child will place his or her loyalty; it's usually to whomever has the pony or will share their candy.

Even if we get past this pledging of allegiance, then it really gets complicated. We're pledging this allegiance to the republic. The dictionary defines republic as a group of people who vest their political power in elected officials (as opposed to a monarch or dictator). So I'm pledging allegiance to this concept of a united states --- states which are united. Really? Are they? I mean are they united? And if they are, how so? What does it mean that these states are united? Does that somehow make them worth pledging myself to?

Now this republic that I recognize and pledge my allegiance to, is said to collectively equal one nation, which exists under God and insists on the ideal of liberty and justice for all.

Is all of that true? Is it one nation? Is it indivisible (meaning it cannot be divided)? Frankly, I wonder. The time was when I pledged allegiance as a child ... when our nation was at war in Vietnam. We had the Kent State shootings, rioting in the streets, protest marches, etc. Frankly, I remember as child just discovering the concept of unity ... and wondering where it was in our country.

I don't see indivisible today either. We've been fighting about abortion for decades. We're fighting about same-sex marriages. We're fighting about socialism. We're fighting about money. As a nation, we even fight about fighting (i.e., which wars we should be in and how we should fight in them)! My goodness, if we're indivisible ... you sure could have fooled me. I look around and I see little evidence of that. In fact, the things we agree on as a nation seem fade in the background of all our disagreements.

Of course, no discussion about this pledge would be complete without at least visiting the subject of being under God. What exactly does it mean to be under God? As I rode to church this morning, I saw people out doing yard work, shopping, playing golf, etc. One guy was walking a cat on a leash. I wondered if these people are all under God. Do they see themselves that way? And even if they do, would the evidence support such a claim? What does it look like when people are united under God? To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I really know. (But I'd like to know!)

When you wrap it all up, I then have to wonder if it all really matters. Maybe we're just kidding ourselves about the value of "the American dream" or "American ideal." Over the past 20 years or so, I have probably visited more than 40 countries (mostly for business). For the most part, their quality of life doesn't look much different than ours. Even the so-called "third world" countries have poor, middle class and rich people who all seem to live lives that look similar to the poor, middle class and rich people in the U.S.A.

Why is that? Isn't America supposed to be special? Isn't what Americans have rather unique? Should the richest, most educated, most powerful nation on earth look different than the rest of the nations? Shouldn't a country that is one nation, under God, and indivisible have some striking differences with the rest of the world?

I have to confess that while I'm grateful for the freedoms and the life I have here in America, I am not ignorant to the fact that I could live quite similarly in at least a dozen other countries. Somehow, most of the western world seems to operate to a similar standard. But then they are not free republics. They don't pledge allegiance to the flag, or whatever their flag stands for. Most of them don't claim to be one nation, indivisible, or under God. And a surprising number of them don't promise liberty and justice for all.

How then do they pull this off? How do they get a quality of life that is so similar to that of the almight U.S. of A.? More the point - if they can accomplish something so similar without being one nation under God - then how important is this American ideal expressed in our own pledge of allegiance?

Somehow, we Americans walk around thinking that we are this unique political experiment. We tend to view our way of life as being substantially superior to that of many other countries. Americans are grateful to be American. Most of us wouldn't ever want to hail from anywhere else. But it's not that we have factual evidence to show that America is this special land that enjoys unique favor from God. We don't.

There should be something different about America that is real and tangible. There should be some distinctives that aren't shared by any other country on earth. Moreover, America should be accomplishing something in the world that is unique and reflects these lofty ideals that we hold to and pledge allegiance to. Simply put, we should be delivering liberty and justice for all. And we should be doing it in some tangible way that supports the fact that liberty and justice for all is a good thing.

Quite candidly, I sometimes worry that Americans are caught in some deep pit of denial. We stroll through life with rose-colored glasses, thinking we're all that special. On one level, this overlooks way to many of our shortcomings - allowing us to ignore them and not address them or even own up to them. On another level, this undoubtedly keeps us from ever reaching our true potential.

I agree that America is a great country, and I'm glad to be an American. But I have to say I think it should be more special. Being an American should be more valuable to the Americans (like me) than it is. People from around the world are dying to get here and be American with us. I wonder how many Americans would be willing to risk everything in order to be an American.

I started this blog saying that I doubt whether the rest of the world can truly grasp the vast and complex paradigm that Americans occupy. But then again, maybe it's a good thing they don't. After all, there doesn't seem to be any benefit in dragging the rest of the world into our denial with us. Liberty and justice for all.