Flee the Wrath

In light of the US election, and having listened to the victory speech of Sen Barack Obama, I would have to say that he is most certainly a great orator. As others have said, a wordsmith, he is eloquent in speech, and with his golden tongue can cause the nation to rally together in these troubled days.

To my American brothers and sisters in Christ, if you find the following words of mine offensive, I do not intend them to be. But I feel led to speak what’s on my heart. In many ways the nations of Australia and America are very similar, but there is one thing I see in your nation which I see in few others. A patriotic zeal which seeks to bind the nation together. This patriotism has been there for as long as I can remember, you have always proudly worn your stars and stripes and raised your American flags.

But patriotism has inherent dangers. She declares that the nation is your hope, your future and your strong tower. Patriotism declares that the strength and the power of the nation lies amidst it’s people and a common cause and vision, that men shall be the solution to all of your problems. It is a very subtle but significant diversion from the faith of Christ.

In a day in which your nation is faltering under the weight of an economic disaster, this patriotic zeal could prove to be incredibly dangerous. Patriotism has a narrow and singular focus, the good of the nation above all else.

I note Sen Obamas speech focused very strongly on this issue of the good of the nation. He spoke of how self sacrifice, serving, forsaking other things, to pursue the good of the nation would serve you and the nation well. That these sacrifices would work together to place the nation back where she deserved to be. These are all fine attributes, sacrifice, service, laying aside self will, but at what cost?

I ask you to consider the cost to Germany in the 20s, who had a similar vision. Like few other nations at that time, Germans felt they had a right to be the most powerful and influential nation in the world, the nation that God had intended them to be. But under the weight of the shame of defeat in WW1, and the financial cost of an economic depression and war reparations, she felt she had been robbed of her God given place in leading the world.

But patriotism is where she regained her strength, patriotism disguised amidst Nazism would stir up a zeal for the vision to see a restored and invigorated Germany (God bless Germany), a patriotic zeal which would cut a swathe of destruction through her own people. If you opposed her restoration on the issues of injustice, mercy or truth, you could and would most likely be silenced. Sadly history declares that many of the people who should have recognised the evil being perpetrated were themselves confessing Christians. But they too had been caught up in the patriotic fervour that saw many Christians persecuted and killed for opposing the regime. At that time you probably would not have know that Germany was killing some of it’s Christians, the regime only ever told you they were enemies of the state, who acted with treasonous intent, and were dealt with accordingly.

Granted, America is not yet the modern day equivalent of 1930s Germany. However, should there be a serious worsening of the economic crisis, should you suffer further acts of terrorism in your land, then the climate will be ripe for a repeat of history. Even now many of the freedoms you take for granted are being reigned in and big brother is keeping a watchful eye upon you.

America, there are many God loving, God fearing people in your nation, I pray that you/they would not be blinded by the golden tongue of a great orator, blinded by the patriotic zeal which places the good of the nation above mercy, justice and truth. Places the good of a nation above the good of your neighbour. A patriotism which seeks to exalt a nation, for you know full well that the haughty shall be brought low.

If I could offer any advice it would be from a Psalm of David :

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people, there is no help for you there, when their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment their plans come to an end. But happy are those who have the God of Israel for their strength, whose hope is in the Lord their God. Psalm 146:4-5