Ungodly Patriotism

Jeremiah 7

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place”’ (Jer. 7:3, NASB).

On August 26, 2016 Colin Kaepernick a San Francisco 49er quarterback refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem at a football game between the 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. Instead, Kaepernick took a knee to call attention to his views on the country’s treatment of racial minorities. In particular, he was expressing his views on the killing of unarmed black men by police. He said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people.” He further explained his motivation for his actions. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the streets and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. On September 22, 2017 President Donald Trump called for NFL owners to fire players that protested by not standing for the flag; to honor our country and veterans. There are veterans, and I am one of them, that believe that when we fought for this country we did not fight for a piece of cloth. Instead, we fought for the constitution. The constitution gives every person the right to express publically his or her opinion about issues in this country. However, it is not my intention to try to resolve the Kaepernick issue. Rather, I want citizens that claim to be Christian to think about what comes first in their life, a symbol of patriotism or the God that we claim to serve. Are symbols and feelings of patriotism more important than the justice that God demands for His people? I will use Jeremiah 7 to argue that many Christians are putting the flag before the justice of God.

God calls Jeremiah to prophesy to the people of Judah during the last days of Judah before the Babylonians invade the land and take the people captive into exile. God warns the people that they will suffer because of two main factors; idolatry and injustices. Idolatry is the people including the worship of other gods alongside of God or in place of God. Injustices include those actions in which the strong oppress the weak; the rich take advantage of the poor. It is not the case that everyone who is strong or rich does something actively to the weak and poor. On the contrary, it is often the case that people are guilty because they refuse to take a stand for the right thing. They sit idly by while others do the dirty work, and they receive the benefits of the dirty work done by others. They are guilty because they do not take sides with the oppressed. Let me give an example.

One evening I am watching the news. They interview a man who is against the football players protesting at the games. He says that this is politics and he does not want to deal with politics at the games. He comes with his family to the games to get away from politics. This man fails to understand that his home is his safe haven from all public events and happening. You cannot go to a professional football game and get away from politics because politics determine the agreement between the team and the city where the team is located and plays its games. The bigger question is this: When does this man intend to get involved in the quest for justice for all people that the flag and the constitution guarantees to all citizens? Now, let us return to Jeremiah 7.

The prophet is commanded: “stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!’” (v.2, NASB). This is a public proclamation. It is a public protest by God through the prophet. The people cannot say, “I come to the temple to worship the Lord. I do not come to hear the complaints of a prophet.” Is it possible that Kaepernick is an instrument of God to warn America of its injustices to its citizens?

How important is social justice to God? Many people believe that social injustices are individual sins. They don’t seem to understand that the prophet is talking to all the people. When God calls the Babylonians to come to invade Judah they will not distinguish between Judah’s righteous and unrighteous (see 1:14-16). All the people will be taken because all the people are held accountable by God. When white soldiers and Black soldiers, and soldiers of every ethnic descent go to war they do not go to defend only certain people. They go to defend every citizen regardless of the citizen’s socio―economic status. They defend the constitution which gives full citizenship rights to all citizens.

The significance of social justice is seen in verses 5-11. Verses 6 and 9 names the specific charges leveled against the nation. Compare the crimes in these two lists and you will discover that Kaepernick and others are simply naming some of the same crimes that are taking place in America today.

The prophet warns the people that they are trusting in deceptive words: The people say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD” (v. 4.) Does going to the temple make a person righteous? Does admiring the grandeur and beauty of the temple make a person righteous? Since the temple is the house of God a person is righteous when they comply with the commands of the God that the temple represents. The psalmist writes: “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul deceitfully” (Ps. 24:3-4, NASB).

Does standing during the playing of the national anthem make this country what it claims to be in the pledge of allegiance? Let us remember the words of the pledge to the 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 protest by Kaepernick and others is not about not respecting the flag, the nation, and its veterans. On the contrary, their protest is because they respect the flag, the nation and its veterans. The protest of the NFL players is a call to the nation much like the call of the prophet to Judah. Their protest is a call for the nation to be aware that the law is not used to ensure justice. Rather, the law is being violated. Again, the prophet warns the people not to trust in empty words and symbols. God commands us to live out the words that are spoken. He commands us to live up to the true meaning of the symbol that we claim to honor.

Does standing when the national anthem is played a sign of patriotism? I believe that it does. Patriotism is the love and devotion for one’s country. If a patriot ignores injustices can he or she still be a patriot? I believe that their feelings of love and devotion are deep. The problem is that their devotion and love are misguided. How can we truly be for America if we do not stand for the justice of the God that we pledge allegiance to? A true patriot is one that stands for justice for all people as guaranteed in the constitution. A true patriot does not ignore the injustices that are taking place every day. Personally, I am an American citizen. I am a veteran. I will stand when the national anthem is played. I stand for the same reason that Kaepernick does not stand. I believe in the constitution. I honor the flag because the flag is a symbol that says that the United States is a sovereign nation. The pledge to the flag reminds me that all nations are under God, and God is calling for justice for all people. I believe that Kaepernick does not stand because too often we fail to be the nation that we are called to be.

The prophet says that we are to “practice justice between a man and his neighbor” (v. 5). These words mirror the words of Moses, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:18). This is the command of Jesus. “The second is like it, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:39). Let us take head that we are not found to be guilty of ungodly patriotism.