My Country ‘Tis of Thee

It’s happening again. I thought I was wiser, I thought I was stronger this time. But I am watching it happen again. I started letting myself think it was OK to check out the political news and follow my preferred candidates. I was hopeful that this time I could watch as we gained the victory that was snatched away from us in 2020.

After the experience of the last presidential election, I was disheartened and angry. The more news that came out about the deception and lies and theft of an election (Bedard, 2022; Marshall, Tanfani, and Ulmer, 2022), the more broken my heart, and the more frustrated I became. I love my country, and it seemed that all the disappointment was leading us to acidic infighting and was pulling us apart! I finally said that I just couldn’t pay attention to these things any longer. I laid them at the feet of my Savior, and I thought I walked away. But I am at it again. I’m letting myself fall into it. I am captivated by the politics of the moment, when I long to be captivated by the Great God of Eternity.

How would the Apostle Paul have admonished his followers and us if he had lived in a democratically elected republic? Paul and the early Christians lived in a culture that was totalitarian, but he still admonished us to pray for people in leadership (Romans 13:1-5; 1 Timothy 2:1-3). Paul said that these authorities were placed by God (Romans 13:1) and we should submit to them. I do try and pray for our leaders as we are commanded. But I also pray for change.

I am not sure when the fate of my country became so significant and weighed so heavily on my heart. I grew up in an era where authority was challenged, and where the direction of the country was violently debated, somewhat like today. I watched with delight the riotous events that transpired at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968. I became so radicalized that I was set to go to Canada to flee the draft for an unjust war, brainwashed by my music. Just prior to my 18th birthday, the draft was ended, and I went from I-A draft status to being no longer required to serve. So I did not flee the country, but I was still seething. The music blared, “Tear it down!”

What changed? In college I dropped out and did drugs to ease the pain and frustration from a broken family and caustic political beliefs. A “But God” moment led me to a Bible study and a decision on following Christ. My salvation from sin and drugs and hate began to soften my heart and change my perspective. My conversion led me to pursue professional ministry and church planting, still strongly opinionated about everything. This did not end well, and our small family barely survived the experience.

Just after this, I was fortunate to find a secure job in a factory hiring unskilled laborers. I was an HR manager hiring people for factory work in an inner city setting. We had people from 25 different language groups where we had the opportunity to provide them steady jobs with a decent income. Many of these folks had just arrived in the US, legally eligible to work, and needed income as they struggled to adjust from their home country to their new environment. A job and income would provide security and help them put down roots.

During the interview process, I heard stories about people who left everything—abandoning a home and belongings and friends—in order to escape oppression. One man, who with 100 other refugees, fled his home country in a broken-down ship, wjich drifted aimlessly on the south China sea for days, seeking to escape the persecution of his faith, with nothing but the clothes on his body. His own brother was imprisoned for his faith, and this man left everything to find the freedom that we take for granted.

These stories crushed my pride and revealed my own arrogance. I repented to God and thanked Him for allowing me to grow up in such a wonderful country! I actually lived in the one place on earth where the hearts of all those seeking freedom from tyranny aspire to belong; and they would sacrifice anything to come: a place that only the Most High God could launch and sustain.

The fact is, we have sinned as a nation. We have sacrificed our children and removed God from our institutions. This is the Letter of Paul to the Roman church in full display (Romans 1:18-32). We have been deceived and taken captive by an ideology that fights against God’s rule and His design for men and women and marriage. I will not blame any one person or group – we have all sinned and incurred the wrath of God by turning away from Him (Romans 3:23); and we are suffering the consequences (Deuteronomy 29:16-28).

I know that all this has come upon us because of our national sin in pushing God out of the picture; and I ask God to forgive us for our selfishness and to release us from the bondage that we have brought upon ourselves. I hope and pray that it is not too late to reverse this course, to return to the Lord, acknowledge our sin and be restored as His special people (Deuteronomy 30:1-3). We need Him to set us free now more than ever, no matter who wins an election. We need to see Him again as our Protector and Source, as the only One who brings freedom to the hearts of men, no matter their status or stature.

A young Samuel Francis Smith was attending Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts when he was asked by a music publisher to translate a number of European music books and their hymns into English (Terry, 2015). The young man was fluent in several European languages; and he agreed to the task. One hymn captured his attention, a German song that had a melody which had already been used in England for a song entitled, “God Save the King.” The melody rang in Smith’s heart, and he decided to compose his own words. This new hymn written by young Samuel Smith was first sung by a children’s choir in a nearby church on July 4, 1832. The song became so popular that it was considered our unofficial national anthem until the adoption of the Star-Spangled Banner (Terry, 2015). Smith wrote these words:

“My Country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty; Of thee I sing!

Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride; from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”

The second verse has incredible significance to my own thoughts during this political season. We are indebted to our Gracious God for the blessings of liberty and His magnificent kindness in allowing this nation to be founded and flourish for over 200 years. Let us never forget who is the inspiration behind our Liberty! Smith also wrote these words:

“Our fathers’s God, to Thee; Author of liberty, to Thee we sing!

Long may our land be bright, with freedom’s Holy light. Protect us by thy Might, Great God, our King” (Terry, 2015).

I know that, ”we have this hope [of salvation through Jesus] as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19 ESV). My eyes need to be on Him, and not on the politicians and pundits; for as previously noted there is no authority except which God has established (Romans 13:1). We are grateful to God for this freedom that we have, in a place unlike any country in the history of the world. This is the freedom for which many have fought and died; and it is a challenge to maintain when the hearts of men are selfish and when the few seek to rule over the many through arrogance and egotism. We cry out with the words of Samuel Smith: “Protect us by thy Might, Great God, our King!”

Sources:

Bedard, P. (2022, March 28). New report: 255,000 ‘excess votes’ for Biden in six key 2020 states. Washington Examiner.

Marshall, A.R.C.; Tanfani, J.; Ulmer, A. (2022, December 21). Ex-academic forges a new career rallying Trump faithful behind voter-fraud claims. Reuters.

Terry, L. (2015, February 26). Story behind the song: 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee.' The St. Augustine Record: Faith.