What is Patriotism, Anyways?

Like many, I’ve been wondering where to start in terms of making real, lasting change within the space that I occupy on this planet. I take on just a few roles: wife, mother, friend, Christian. So this is where my journey of activism will start- within my home and belief system.

I am a Christian. Probably not a super great one by the standards of many of my peers, but a Christian nonetheless. And I see an opportunity for myself and fellow believers in Jesus to rise above the chaos and do what we were called to do: ACT like Jesus. Show mercy, and grace, and compassion, and kindness, and forgiveness, and deep, deep unyielding love to all of the people who walk this earth with us.

Certainly I cannot speak for everyone, but the Christianity that I grew up witnessing was a rigid Christianity. A politically conservative Christianity. A “Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps” Christianity. A “I Worked My Whole Life For What I Have and I’m Not Just Going to Let Some Cheapskate on Welfare Steal It From Me” Christianity. A “Say A Prayer Before Extended Family Dinners And Then Watch Everything Devolve Into Heated Arguments and Swearing” Christianity.

A Christianity where it was okay to occasionally use the n-word…

This version of Christianity is small religion, at best. It’s not big spirituality. It’s not big God. It’s not big love. And frankly, it’s not enough.

The story I grew up learning, was that the United States was founded by a bunch of individuals looking to escape religious persecution, among other things. We adopted the values of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We looked back at our motherland and shouted, “Don’t Tread on Me!” as we forged ahead, pummeling Native Americans into the ground from which they came, and dragging slaves shackled in chains behind us. We turned these mantras into excuses to selfishly exercise our deepest, and sometimes most flawed, personal desires- even to the extent that we hurt our neighbors…you know…the people we were called to love.

We’ve taken “Land of the Free,” and we’ve twisted it into an anthem of oppression…I can be free- but unless you look like me, act like me, love like me, talk like me, worship like me, pray like me- YOU can never be free.

We all want the same thing. We want our voice to be heard. Our experience to be validated. We want to know that we matter. That what we’ve been through matters. That we are important. And we keep looking to this broken system to reassure us of those truths that are so life-giving to hear.

But you know what?

This country. Our patriotism, or lack thereof. The political party with which we identify. The president sitting in the White House. The economic system by which we rule our lives. These things will ALWAYS fail us if we look to them as a mirror to show us our identity and our worth.

These man-made, deeply flawed, constructs that we’ve created with the intent to provide our world with some sort of organization and order, will always lead to disorder.

We’re thinking too small. Our thinking must start to transcend the shackles that we put on ourselves and, perhaps more importantly, on others. It must transcend man-made labels and social and political constructs. We will never find true solace in these things.

This country will be the land of the free- America will be great- when we collectively rise above these things. When we get out of our own way. When we validate each other. When we care about the human behind the computer screen. When we are able to resist our Ego and admit that we can ALWAYS learn more, grow more, be better.

America will be great when our greatest values are kindness and compassion. When curiosity Trumps defensiveness. When questions take the place of condemnations. When love wins.

with big, deep, unyielding love,

Kirsten