HONORING THE FLAG

      As I sit a my desk... and look at the folded American flag that we received at my father's funeral, I can't help but think of the many times I've seen an Honor Guard present the same flag to grieving family members before they bury a loved one. As a pastor, I've been involved in scores of gravesite services, where the presenting of the flag... WAS the highlight of the service. And in the last year, Sherry and I have fallen in love with "Challenger" the eagle, who soars through and over stadiums around the country... as our national anthem is played. In short, I've become an unabashed fan of the American flag... and I proudly stand and show allegiance to it, whenever I am asked to do so. Yes, I know that it is a symbol of the freedoms that it guarantees, but it is a sacred symbol that should not be desecrated. Of course, I am aware of the sins of our fathers... and I know that there are scores of injustices that still need to be corrected. I realize that our leaders and, certainly our politicians, have dishonored our flag for all sorts of reasons... but my father fought for it... and my namesake died for it. So I will stand and sing our unsingable national anthem whenever I'm asked to... and I expect all of the others in attendance to do the same!
      For years and years, virtually all Americans agreed with me. Whenever our national anthem was played, they stood, placed their hand over their heart, and sang... to celebrate the freedoms they enjoyed... and to honor those who died protecting them. But in recent years, there are growing numbers of people who feel that it is their duty to make the singing of our national anthem... all about themselves... and how they happen to feel about the socio-political world at the time. Rather than honoring the work and sacrifice of others, they see the national anthem as a moment in which they should protest things that they don't agree with. Now, there are MANY things to protest. Many, many things that must be improved. There many fences to mend, many wounds to patch up, many doors to open. Amen... but honoring our flag and those who died for it... has nothing to do with personal protests! One can do both, it seems... and one should do both. One should work for justice, liberty, and righteousness... and still honor the sacred sacrifices of those who gave their lives for the very same goals.
      From time to time, because my love for sports still calls to me, I find myself listening to Sports Talk radio, knowing that I am well beyond their targeted age group. Sometimes I wonder why I am listening to nearly mindless chatter, but for the most part I like it. Thus, I was a listener when a caller noted that he was really pleased to see (what he interpreted to be) greater emphasis on our national anthem at ballgames. He suggested that, in light of our growing fears about terrorism, the anthem should play a more significant role at all public activities. "America first"... before we play our games- that was his point- but the radio host vehemently disagreed. He wondered why we even sing the anthem at all, and he said that singing it in sports venues was "jingoism," of the highest order! Jingoism, by the way, is more than a "cheesy" form of orchestrated patriotism. It is an "extreme" form of nationalism- an "excessive bias" in the superiority of our country. It is, one part "phoney," and one part, "crazy," it seems... and according to those see things this way, we ought to quit singing the national anthem in public venues! Moreover, since standing for the national anthem is "extreme," it follows that thoughtful people will refuse to do so! They will resist group pressure and offer their individual protests against such "extremism" by sitting on their hands, or taking a knee.
      Well. I will admit that there are all sort of extreme behaviors in the world, and many of them grow out of someone's misguided faith and crazy views. But standing as a people and acknowledging our principles and our heroes for a moment or two, even if someone else asked you to do it, is hardly extreme. Nor is it indicative of "excessive bias" for our side. The talk show host I listened to is an articulate man- who else would use the word "jingoism" on a sports talk show- but patriotic songs and symbols are deeply cherished and they are forever connected to the men and women who died so that we can sing them, or hold them, or touch them, or even call them "jingoistic."
      Indeed, I've become so hopelessly old-fashioned these days that, sometimes, when our anthem is sung, I find myself fighting off a tear or two, especially when I see "Challenger" fly. Maybe I've become drunk on my country's wine. Maybe I am a fool for slogans and gimmicks. Maybe I've just grown old. Maybe I've finally seen the light. You decide. Amen.