Not just Independence Day, but all month long, American citizens are celebrating our nation’s semiquincentennial called “America 250.” Other fans from around the world are joining in! But some folks, of course, feel uncertain about such patriotism. Don’t our countries have a lot of problems? Isn’t our eternal citizenship in Heaven? Let’s explore how Scripture endorses “the glory and honor of the nations.” And let’s recall how fantastical stories illustrate this good love of our country.[1. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.]
We’ll disclaim illegitimate hatred or homeland, called oikophobia.
Some prefer imaginary or opposite “homes” rather than real ones.
Still others are rank traitors for bad reasons, and can be rejected.
Yet more legitimately, “home” has a bad stigma for some people.
We must not let “home was bad for me” turn into “it’s bad for all.”
Nor should we let this impulse turn into “the nation is bad for all.”
Yes, a few countries are built on truly wicked foundations.
But most are not—certainly not those with listeners to us now.
Even if people do like America, however, they may feel guilty.
A similar impulse occurs to Christians who like other earthly gifts.
“Our treasure is in heaven, so nothing here on Earth matters.”
Subtle gnosticism: if it all burns, why value these temporal places?
2. How stories remind us of good homelands
Naturally we begin with the classics by authors who loved England.
Lewis and Tolkien saw bad battles and offered critiques at home.
But their stories remind us how good heroes fight for their peoples.
Hobbits foresee the danger to the Shire and leave home to stop it.
Aragorn loves his people and his country, despite their flaws.
Faramir doesn’t love weapons but “that [land] which they defend.”
Narnia’s kings and allies fight for her and for other good countries.
The Horse and His Boy is about the good country of Archenland.
Even harsh Calormenes, opposed to Narnia, have good qualities.
Classic sci-fi by the French Jules Verne honors American spirit.
Japanese stories adore American heroes, and we return the favor.
On this side of the pond, stories show America’s flaws and heroes.
Independence Day (1996) shows a pulpified-U.S. fighting aliens.
Transformers and Top Gun movies tend to follow that tradition.
Overtly “patriotic” stories are more about flavor, not philosophy.
Back in the UK, Stephen thinks Harry Potter shows this differently.
Spoilers: Harry learns Prof. Dumbledore made a lot of mistakes.
Yet the grown-up Harry chooses to stay on his mentor’s side.
And really, such open-eyed loyalty is the root of good patriotism.
3. And yes, good countries could last forever.
These are good enough reasons to love even temporal gifts.
But let’s add more. I believe great nations are in fact eternal.
Why? Because of direct promises about eternity in Scripture.
By [the city’s] light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
Revelation 21: 24-26
John could have said “earthly kingdoms get destroyed.” He didn’t.
He clearly means us to think that earthly authorities can continue.
And he specifically says “the glory and the honor of the nations.”
It would appear that nations (groups of people) are not sinful.
New Earth is the fulfillment of God’s original purpose for Earth.
So why not New Israel? New India? New Britain? New America?
Could the “glory and honor” include fireworks? Hot dogs? Ideas?
Jesus is King of all eternity. Yet other “kings” will also be known.
Other verses refer to saints having leadership in the New Earth.
Could some lands try different models? Monarchy? Democracy?
Perhaps in the New Earth, we’ll see the best of all those systems.
Voting could continue, in some ways, certainly at smaller scales.
If this seems weird, recall that nations are just large people groups.
No prophecy implies a removal of today’s diversity of humans.
Nor does it imply that everyone will love everyone else the same.
New Earth will not sanctify “everyone belongs to everyone else.”
Surely, after loving Jesus most, we’ll also love others differently.
You’ll love your own family “more” than other people’s families.
And if you were married, you’ll love him or her more than others.
So it is with countries. It’s okay, even good, to have preferences.
We want people to like their own spouses/families/countries most.
So if that impulse will be right forever, it can also be right today.
Lots of folks have said plenty about Christopher Nolan’s controversial retelling of Homer’s classic The Odyssey. We might see the movie. Or we might not. In either case, this book is an absolute cornerstone not just of human literature, but of fantastical fiction. How did this hero’s journey change the course of all other heroic legends after him?
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