Weighing Patriotism Against Idolatry

I hate taking an extreme all or nothing position on anything. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. That’s just about the only total extreme I’m willing to stand by. Polarization on just about every other issue does more harm than good.

I read a tweet on Sunday afternoon that said if your church service is 4th of July themed that’s idolatry. I’m sorry I don’t know who posted it. I did not save it because I had no idea I would be coming back to it but now I can’t shake it. Anything can be taken to an unhealthy extreme. It is common for believers in our culture to get their strong feelings about Christianity and America mixed together. The image of a cross decorated with stars and stripes makes me a little twitchy. I can hear Michael Spencer screaming in my head. But just about every church I’ve ever been a part of has an American flag, and usually a Christian flag, in the sanctuary. Some would claim that displaying a flag in church or pledging allegiance to the flag – anywhere – is not something Christians can not do with a clear conscience. Our pledge and oath should be to Christ and no other. That is extreme at the other end of the spectrum. As is true with most things I’m more comfortable somewhere in the middle that at either far end.

Aaron’s Golden Calf

“Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 

Begin by reading Exodus 32:1-6. The Hebrews demanded that Aaron make gods for them to worship and remarkably Aaron did so. Up until this point of the Exodus narrative Aaron had been as the spoken voice of God to the people of Israel. God would instruct Moses, Moses would share the commands with Aaron, and Aaron would in turn relay all that God had said to the people. They had all witnessed the plagues in Egypt, miraculously crossed the Red Sea, and trembled in fear as smoke and fire descended onto Mount Sinai. They had not yet received the written tablets but the words of the Ten Commandments had been spoken by God in Exodus 20. Before and after the commandments were listed all the congregation of Israel said together “All that you say we will do.” So why after all that would they risk provoking the anger of God by making an idol to worship?