July 4th: A Reflection on God's Blessed Nation

Independence Day—the day our nation celebrates its declared, self-evident principles endowed by our Creator...

Pic by Emiko Hall

Growing up as an Evangelical Christian, I proudly placed my right hand over my heart uttering the words “under God” as part of my cultural pride and core belief. I loved the stories and movies made to stir our heroic patriotism with brave battles against any who dare assail us, including space aliens. Today, though, the existence of a real assault seems to be something more nefarious than mere world dominance. You guessed it. The gay agenda.

Evidently, it doesn’t matter whether I still have value in claiming “under God” as part of my allegiance to the United States of America, as I hope it still is or can be, that is, a nation God protects rather than condemns. But apparently, since coming out as a lesbian, I am now part of a powerful coup that could take down my entire country by enticing God’s wrath via ISIS or earthquakes or the U.S. presidency. In all the years I questioned how God saw me, wondering what I was capable of or how He would use me, I never suspected…

Nonetheless, we are no longer a nation under God, or a nation worthy to even ask for His protection, mainly because of people like me, or more, because our government continues to sanction our lives (or as my conservative friends deem, our “lifestyle”). 

I’m wondering, though, having so affected God’s view of our entire nation, why me? Why now? Upon reflection, it does seem careless and naïve taking part in squandering God’s blessing and not really know when that was, when He actually imparted it. 

Were His seeds of care planted in 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue and stumbled upon the Americas while evolving the slave trade in the name of Gold?

Was it in the 1620’s when the Puritans established Plymouth in their desire for religious freedom while in a mere 30 years, Native Americans would be slaughtered over the demand for more land by more settlers that continued to officially relegate them as "heathens" over the next hundreds of years? 

Technically, we didn't distinguish ourselves as an independent country until 1776. Could we claim our American birthright as God’s elect once the Declaration of Independence was penned and signed by several men of differing faiths, chief among them two Universalist deists? One of which created his own bible by cutting out words and phrases while claiming the New Testament writers were “idiots.” 

Perhaps it was in 1864 when our government literally coined “In God We Trust” after a four year civil war was needed to free our Black brothers and sisters after two hundred years of slavery.

Or maybe it happened nearly a hundred years later when "under God" was added to the pledge of allegiance in 1954. Never mind “separate but equal” was still open for debate.

Somewhere along the line, our nation was preferred and blessed by God. However, America really started hindering God’s hand in 1973 with legalized abortion. 

I guess it doesn’t matter how our country's prolonged endorsement of wives as husbands' property continued to turn a blind eye to marital rape until 1993 (although legal exemptions still included a wife's inability to consent if she was incapacitated physically, mentally, or simply sleeping).

Or that discriminating on the basis of skin color was still officially on the books until Y2K, despite almost half the Alabama voters who still wanted it.

Or that America consistently ranks lower than 26 other developed countries for taking care of its poor and needy.

Still, “We, the People” are God’s chosen nation. At least we were. And I believed it too, despite my Christian theology that taught a consecrated nation, a people set apart (i.e. holy; blessed), was made up of individuals with a personal allegiance to Him, regardless of nationality.

Sincerely, America, as the Scripture* says, “Come, let us reason together…”, because we should certainly have our trepidations. I'm just not sure it all comes down to "the gays." For years, I hid under that burden while claiming liberty and justice under God. At the same time, I undermined my faith with my citizenship to this land.

*Isaiah 1:17Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. 18"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19"If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land [English Standard Version]