independence day musings

On this warm balmy evening there are large booms surrounding my ears... and I am in my house. They are loud. I decided to not venture out to visit the firework displays. I would rather go to bed. I passed out water at the parade today... our church does this every year. It is so much fun. But, I have to admit, it all makes me wonder about national pride and the like.

Pride... hmmm. Pride to me is a way of looking at a job well done... pleased with one's self. National pride... seems a bit odd to me sometimes... I had nothing to do with the fact that I was born in the US. It certainly allows for some privileges that much of the world does not have. For that, I am very thankful... but proud seems a bit weird. THis is a nation with good old "pull yourself up by your boot straps", "you can do anything you put your mind to", self sufficiency striving values. And we are the loneliest country in the world. This makes me sad, but not proud. I guess, like most of us, there are some aspects of our heritage for which I am "proud" but some for which I am not.

I saw flags everywhere today. What does this symbol mean anyway... well, I guess for one, it allows me the right to ponder these things publicly. Many people around the world scoff at the sight of this flag that we wave so boldly. Do we even know what it means to "pledge allegiance" to anything at all? I'd say those are pretty serious words... words that I don't know I can say about a flag... a symbol. Dare I "pledge allegiance" to something that is not eternal? I just don't know... I just don't know.

I leave you with words from the Psalters song, Ole Glory:

On Good Friday - Those stripes were carved into Your back
On Good Friday - The star spangled banners bruised Your body blue and black
On Good Friday - Those stars and stripes were torn in two.
And all that Glory, all that ole Glory - belongs alone to You.