Do you approach the Fourth of July with mixed feelings?

I confess to being pretty uncomfortable in the midst of the flag-waving fervor of Independence Day, the zealous assertion that the United States is the best of all possible worlds, and American democracy a simple panacea for the world’s problems. Ever since I was an engineer down in Huntsville, Alabama, and saw the unthinking devotion the town offered during the Gulf War, this holiday has always slightly depressed me.

I read a quote this week that said, “[Patriotism] refuses to recognize the common bond of humanity; it is the sentiment of extended selfishness which sets the nation above every moral law...guided by the principle: ‘My country right or wrong.’” Certainly there is no shortage of this sort of single-minded patriotism in our midst.

And yet I think of myself as a patriotic person. I cherish the principles of democratic society, and recognize that so much of the comfort and opportunity in my life might not have been possible had I grown up in another nation.

Living outside the country for two years offered me the “growth opportunity” to see the world’s perception of us, which is so different from our own perception of ourselves. I was also expected to answer to criticism of our nation’s actions and policies around the world, many of which I opposed. At the same time that I felt a great distaste for many of America’s exploits, I was also quite homesick for the culture I knew and fit into.

When I am frustrated with how our nation behaves in the world – in my opinion too often like a bully, and too often like a spoiled child – I ask myself, “Do I still believe in these values?” My answer has always been yes.

I think of patriotism not as unquestioning zealotry, but as the sort of love we have for family members – exasperating sometimes, but loyal nonetheless. In fact, I think it is our love for our family members, and country, perhaps, that allows us to look deeply enough to see their flaws, and remain in relationship with them, flaws and all.

May your Fourth of July be a time of thoughtful patriotism – a love that expects our nation to do better, and moves each of us to work to sustain and share our ideals.

yours in growing faith –
Rev. Scott Gerard Prinster
Unitarian Universalist Community Church of SW Michigan
Portage, Michigan