“Among other things, when we associate Jesus with America, even in the most remote ways, we legitimize the widespread global perception that the Christian faith can be judged on the basis of what America has done in the past or continues to do in the present.” – Greg Boyd, The Myth of a Christian Nation

Being American and Christian seems to be intertwined so often.  Sometimes I don’t know where my Christianity begins and my citizenship ends.  Theoretically I can separate them.  I follow Jesus, and just happen to live in an abstract place called USA.  But in reality, these roads and highways, villages and cities, counties and states, are not something theoretical and abstract.  It’s you and me, and this group and that group, all of us together, making up this land, this people group called America.

And sometimes, when something happens on such a large scale that it is in the global news for weeks, the citizenry has the opportunity, if not the obligation, to say something.

This obligation seems to take on even more urgency when I listen to the loud voice in a certain segment of the church, the part that I happen to call home.  This voice likes to perpetuate the myth that we are a blessed and favored nation who does no wrong.  So I feel even stronger that when things happen that are clearly wrong, I have a responsibility to say something; to clarify that Jesus and the USA are not besties.  To stand up for those who have been trampled on by this nation that I live in.

As I’ve changed my view of how America fits into global history, I’ve discovered a few things:

I love the freedom I’ve found in realizing America is no greater than any other.  I am free to enjoy and even celebrate other people from around the world.  Their worth is no longer tied to my ego as a citizen.

By pretending this nation is perfect, we keep ourselves from acknowledging the people we hurt, and sometimes we even keep them trapped in pain, poverty, and helplessness.

Ignoring or glossing over our failures implicates us in future sins.  Not knowing our true past renders us incapable of learning from it and changing the future.  History truly does repeat itself.

And in the meantime, we continue to hurt, trample, and oppress people.

We can’t be part of the solution until we understand the problem, and knowing the problem requires knowing the past.

So as part of this looking-at-my-country-honestly deal, I want to say a few things about the Cartagena scandal.

But that would put me way over the recommended word limit for a blog post.

So check back tomorrow to learn how appalling I think our government continues to act in this whole thing.

In the meantime….how have you viewed America and Christianity?  Did you grow up with The Light and the Glory outlook, or a Howard Zinn vision?