I often ponder the sort of patriotism that I possess. There is no question, in any of my travels around the world, that I am an American (hopefully not an ugly one), with a very strong Judeo-Christian worldview and very obvious Western patterns of thought. That said, though it has often been misinterpreted, my patriotism is not a blind sort of patriotism either. I tend to be deeply critical of the things that I love, that includes my country. Being a person with a strong belief in God’s laws and ways, it is impossible not to be critical of my society even as I appreciate the God-given freedoms I (still) have as a citizen of my land.

My attitude toward my country is basically the perspective of that line from “America The Beautiful,” “God mend thine every flaw.” I have a patriotism where I love my country, but I love it recognizing that it is in deep trouble and needs some serious self-examination. All of us under the sun are flawed, and we all desire love anyway. But that love ought not to be a blind love that ignores serious problems, but rather a love that desires the best for others, even if it requires some temporary pain and suffering to get to a better place. And that is the sort of love I have for my nation, a love that is perhaps a bit temperamental, a bit cynical, but still love nonetheless, not hate or apathy.

This is not the place where I wish to detail all of the flaws, or as many as I can remember, about my native land. Other people are vastly better than I am at that task of setting down each and every shortcoming than I wish to be. But our country has seen better days. Though the United States is a young country compared to many others, it is suffering at least through what may be termed a mid-life crisis. It is wondering whether to keep its relationship with its original wife by covenant or throw her to the curb and replace her with a younger gold-digging no-strings-attached relationship. My advice to the United States would be the same as to anyone in that position–the people that will cheat with you will cheat on you, and if you are not faithful to your promises no one will be faithful to you.

Today is a day about loyalty. Countries expect a great deal of loyalty from their citizens. But that loyalty has to be earned. We can love a country and absolutely loath the people in charge of it (though if we are godly people we have to recognize that we are commanded to respect even unworthy people in offices of authority). We can recognize that when bad leaders are chosen, that is because the people themselves have gotten corrupted. If we do not value loyalty in our families, in our friendships, in our business relationships, in our behavior, we cannot be surprised when disloyalty is raised to a high art from in the corridors of power. We get the leaders we as a nation deserve, and if we are godly people in an ungodly land, and we do what we can to arrest the moral decline of our trouble societies, at the very least let us prepare to be a righteous remnant. Sometimes that is all one can hope for.

I wonder if we have reached that point yet. I am not sure, but if we have not reached the point of no return we are probably not very far from it. At the core of our difficulties is the lack of ability to look in the mirror ourselves and see the price of sin showing on our Dorian Gray-like portraits. If we were willing to repent, willing to forgive, willing to make things right, we could have many more generations ahead of us. But I am not sanguine of that, and that means that as our country celebrates another birthday I must look at my country with a great deal of concern. I love my homeland, no matter how far away from it I may be, but I cannot say I love it without serious reservations and concerns. My love is not blind, after all.