Josh Hinton, of LICC writes, "For ancient Israel, being a godly nation meant existing for the benefit of others. I am a very English person. I like my tea hourly, my humour subtle, and my picnics in the car. I grew up on a diet of PG Wodehouse, Commando comics, and World Cup football failure. The sight of a London bus, a National Trust scone, or my native Yorkshire’s rolling hills brings a swell of national pride to my chest.
As a result, I’m generally game for a good old flag-wave. So why has the recent appearance of Union Jacks and St George’s Crosses around my town filled me with unease rather than joy?
This article is from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity section on Connecting with Culture
It boils down to the motivation behind our patriotism. For some, the flag-hanging movement that culminated in Saturday’s vast ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march is about just that – unifying splintered communities around a shared love of Britain, its history, and its values.
For others, their motivation is less about love of country and more about fear and loathing. The march was organised by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson), the former leader of the far-right English Defence League. And addressing the rally, Elon Musk said, ‘Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.’
Fight or die. Is that the sort of patriotism we’re called to?
For those who follow Christ, our patriotism should be defined by Scripture. If any nation ever had cause to be patriotic, it was ancient Israel: chosen, saved, and established by God himself. But from the start, God is clear that Israel’s purpose isn’t to celebrate her own greatness, but to exist for the benefit of others: ‘I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing’ (Genesis 12:2).
That purpose extended across national identities and territorial boundaries. ‘The alien who resides among you shall be to you as the native-born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:34). In other words, biblical patriotism means loving God, celebrating his gifts, and using them to bless those beyond your nation.
As Christians in modern Britain, that should be our model: thanking God for how he’s worked in our nation, protecting the wellbeing of all in our communities – ‘native-born’ or ‘alien’ – and pursuing both justice and mercy in addressing the very real challenges around migration.
Being Christian patriots means looking for ways to extend the blessings of our developed, free, democratic nation to those in need – whether in our own neighbourhood or the wider world. What does that look like for you this week?
Josh is Head of Communications at LICC
This article is from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity section on Connecting with Culture