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Adam Russell Taylor writes that true patriotism always includes confronting our nation’s flaws — and working toward something better:
My earliest memories of Independence Day revolve around sparklers, the loud booms of firecrackers, the savory smell of cookouts, and, yes, many American flags. Now, as I raise a family in the U.S. capital, my memories of the holiday involve watching the stunning fireworks display on the National Mall and seeing who can eat the most Maryland crab at an all-you-can-eat Fourth of July picnic at a nearby pool. (And given the sheer volume of crab my sons and I can throw down, I’m grateful the organizers still let us participate.)
If it’s not obvious: I genuinely enjoy celebrating July Fourth. Yet I know that many Americans — including Christians who share my commitment to social justice — have a far more complicated relationship with the holiday. And I get it: So often, celebrating Independence Day is wrapped in a weaponized, politicized form of patriotism which allows no room for critiquing the real harms and contradictions of our nation. But I think it’s a mistake for us to cede patriotism to those who turn it into a poisonous blend of nationalism and ethnocentrism, fixated on blood and soil and fueled by fear of “the other.” Instead of rejecting patriotism, I want Christians to redeem it.
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