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I was gratified not long ago as I watched the 250th Anniversary Celebration of the United States Army.  Immediately, I thought of the sacrifices of all the men and women who have given the ultimate gift of their lives to preserve the freedom we still enjoy today.  It was both enlightening and inspiring to see the enactment of the various periods of our history where the US Army fought either to establish or defend  our freedom.

Another note of gratitude of the celebration was seeing the thousands of American onlookers crowding and lining every block and corner of Constitution Avenue loudly cheering for the nation, those who served and those who continue to serve as defenders of our freedom.

At any rate, it was welcome relief to the violent protests we have seen of late on television.  It is not necessarily the protests but the violent part of the protests.  I’m talking about people confronting law enforcement officers, shouting obscenities at them, damaging buildings, hurling harmful objects and demonstrating mob rule.

In the light of that 25O Anniversary Celebration of the United States Army and the Fourth of July, I want to add some additional words about cheering for America.

First, I disagree with those who have a problem with cheering for one’s country.  It is not bad patriotism to do so.  The failure to recall blessings often results in loosing those blessings.   I recall a story of a prominent American who gave up her American citizenship to become a communist.  When asked why, she replied, “I can’t remember all during my growing up years hearing anybody say anything about the good.”  So. Cheer for America.

Second, regarding patriotism, hear these words of the prophet Jeremiah, “Thus says the Lord: ‘ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him who glories glory in this that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23,24).

Now, as wonderful as as it is, this American republic is a long sea mile from being perfect.  But our task remains to ever be seeking to perfect it.  And I might add to perfect it in the light of the things that God delights in-“steadfast love, justice and righteousness .”

Consequently, we should love our Country but also insist on telling it all its faults.

Writing a message entitled “The Good Kind of Patriotism,” Peter W. Marty quoted William Sloane Coffin in the current issue of the “Christian Century.“  Marty stated that Coffin liked to say that there are three kinds of patriots, two bad and one good.  “The bad patriots are the uncritical lovers and the loveless critics of their country.  The good patriots are those who carry on a lover’s quarrel with their country, a reflection of God’s eternal lover’s quarrel with the entire world.”

I hope you will join with me in cheering for America!