Tag: privileges

Sonship and Citizenship

Posted on by Hilarey

I remember standing on the deck of a beautiful home in Tahoe for a home group gathering. The leader responded to my compliment about the view, his home, and yard with, “Where God guides, he provides.”

It’s so, so true. God directs us. He opens and closes doors. All good things come down from the Father of Lights. He is the way-maker.

But this was during the time my husband was physically injured. We were losing our barely affordable rental to a thriving real estate “seller’s market,” and we didn’t know where we would be moving. I was unskilled—waiting tables at more than one restaurant—while my husband tried to stand upright again. It was just months after I’d weaned our third baby.

So my whispered reply was, “I wish God would guide me.”

God’s Favor

Casually spoken Christian terms and quotes alienate people more than they glorify God.

There are certain privileges you owe to the structures of this world. Such as, you were born in a country where citizens learn to read. Even though God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were born it isn’t God’s favor over you that prevented you from being born into disease, famine, prison, or a refugee camp—and someone else into it.

The idea of God’s favor reeks of prosperity doctrine—but I especially dislike it because I hear it when people just want to describe how God approved and enabled their plans.

As lovers of God, we want to do great things for him. So we make plans. And if he aligns the stars and decimals—we tell everyone that we have his “favor.”

Many are the plans of man, but the Lord directs his steps.

And sometimes, he laughs at, scoffs, or taunts the world’s plans. Yeah, possibly even your plans and mine. He rejected Uzzah’s. (A man who likely had good intentions of not letting the Arc of the Covenant fall to the ground…but who wasn’t a priest and therefore was prohibited from touching it.)

It isn’t God’s favor in the form of your success, which proves your sonship, or your citizenship in heaven. Sometimes if things look fantastic for you in this world—it’s just because you are operating well as a part of this world. Or you had a leg up.

Things are just going to be easier if you are born into a society with public services, the ability to own private land, and within an infrastructure for (some) free education. If you are born to an intact family and money, you will have many more options and opportunities than others… and a softer place to land if the stars and decimals don’t align.

Reserve, there are two different kingdoms operating simultaneously—and some principles will help you in both. If you do not cheat on your spouse, they are less likely to leave you (for infidelity, at least.) If you show up on time and work your best, you are less likely to be fired (for laziness, at least.)

But don’t confuse good principles operating under the structure of this world as God‘s favor. Sometimes you do all these things, and you are still abandoned, lose your job, never receive the pay you deserve, have health issues, and cannot provide for the future of those you love.

This is not a reflection of God’s favor on you.

Because not everyone doing well in this world reached success because of honor or adherence to God’s principles. There is a selfish kind of wisdom that will advance you in this life.

And even though God wanted to give Israel prosperity—sometimes they achieved it themselves through oppressive interest rates, enslaving others, buying land from the desperate, and exploiting the immigrant.

I found a Bible Project article article that mentioned, “… in the biblical narrative, prosperity, and wealth are often signs of brutal injustice toward the vulnerable.”

On the other hand, not everyone who adheres to God’s principles will be rewarded on earth. Christians are anticipating a home anda reward yet to come.

Besides, even though all perfect gifts come from him, not all things the world calls “good” are… good.

How #imblessed looks to unbelievers

Don’t use “though none go with me” as an excuse to trample others along your way. It does matter how we look and sound to unbelievers. Paul talked about the way the gift of tongues should be used in the church—stating that if a nonbeliever came in and it was chaotic, “Would he not think you were all mad?”

It is fine to live well here. Defend your right to burn trash on your lawn with your dying breath. Finagle a better interest rate and take your neighbor to court. Just don’t call it “trusting in the Lord,” “God’s favor,” or a “blessing,” and think that it glorifies God.

And stop confusing success in this world as proof heaven’s citizenship.

Is it your fault?

It’s painful when your life looks like you neither adhere to the decent principles of the world nor have tangible gifts and God’s favor. You lose your home, your job, your health. The most obvious question for other believers to ask you is, “Is this pain a result of your sin or your parents?” Just like the disciples asked Jesus regarding a man born blind. Just like Job’s friends accused. It’s easy to imagine the prodigal father questioned all his life’s choices before he ran to embrace his returning son and fell upon his neck.

Remember, all the tangible gifts given here on earth will still burn up with the rest of the temporal things. While we should enjoy them, we should more intently seek the treasures in eternity that can’t be destroyed. The favor you cannot yet see, taste, touch—or post on social media.

Sometimes people leave the faith because their torn garments, fasting and praying, doesn’t bring the good life or the restoration of relationship, that was promised. The candy machine God isn’t the one we should peddle… because it isn’t God’s favor or lack of tribulation that proves sonship. Not when Jesus said if they hated him—they would hate us. Not when he promised we would have to endure troubles.

Hebrews 12:7-8 “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”

We don’t need to always think of discipline as correction or punishment. Discipline is simply what makes you drag yourself out of bed in the morning. Most of the time, discipline is making the head choice instead of the flesh choice for food, exercise, study and relationships.

Discipline can be a judge—but it can also be a personal trainer.

And I feel like the writer of Hebrews is encouraging the reader with the reminder “in which we all have participated” as confirmation that your tough times, your pain, prove your legitimacy as children of God.

You’re not abandoned. You’re in training.

Before You Receive

Posted on by Hilarey

Originally Posted December 19, 2022

This is a companion post to last week’s “Before you Give,” and makes several assumptions. For instance, that you’re celebrating and will exchange gifts. It also assumes that you have space this holiday to think about this unessential part of living.

Because of time, energy, money, or emotion, you may not have been able to prepare for next week like you wanted. There is still one way you can, though. Prepare how you will accept gifts.

Years ago, I gave a sweater to a girl at a going away party. I didn’t know her well. She squealed and exclaimed. It was outrageous how pleased she was, and how much she liked it. I’d never experienced a reaction like that. And I will never forget how much joy it brought me–even though she did it for every single gift.

I’ve seen enough crest-fallen and insulted faces at gift openings. Not always from my gifts. Just from people who don’t like to receive, or don’t know how. I did practice opening gifts with my first son when he was almost two. I taught him to jump up and clap every time he opened a box, and then hug the one who gave it to him. The idea came after my experience giving the sweater, and that Christmas was really fun. (He still only wanted to play with the boxes, though.)

Once, I was asked, “Did you buy me this because I asked for it?” I think his exact words in November had been, “If you buy my anything this year, buy me this.” But, it didn’t matter, since he clearly no longer wanted it.

We always used written lists with my family growing up, and then again when I became a parent. But some never enjoyed the lack of surprise and thoughtfulness which comes from that version of the gift giving tradition.

Mostly, I think it is just difficult to hide all the mixed emotions during the let-down of excess.

But the giver would like a pay-off. And that isn’t selfish, although, it can be. I realize now, it was a demand for performance when we would zoom in on our kids’ faces with a camera, hoping to freeze in time their rapture at a life-changing gift. We have loads of pictures where we can’t tell what was opened because faces are down, trying to decide how they feel about it all. We did it that way because we wanted to capture a moment of their joy to keep.

I can’t think of a Christmas when I didn’t get up hours before dawn to see what Santa brought. I don’t know why I did this. It might have been to keep my initial reaction as my own. Probably it was because I harbor a disobedient spirit. My parents warned me that if I ever found my gifts before Christmas, they would take them all back. Peaking was my way of obeying the “letter of the law” until Christmas Day, but maintaining rebellion in my heart.

It’s hard to be vulnerable enough to receive with thankfulness. Assuming you didn’t grow up as a refugee in a war-torn country, Christmas was probably purer when you were an oblivious kid and thought Santa had unlimited resources. But not for everyone. A woman once shared with me that her earliest feeling about Christmas was that the rich kids she knew must be better behaved than she was. She decided this because Santa brought them nicer presents.

Every tradition can be beautiful in one house and heart, but awkward in another.

Santa, a man who knows everything, has unlimited resources, and sometimes gives you exactly what you want. It can be a romantic imitation of God, or end in tears of betrayal when the lie is revealed. I’m not cynical–that’s how my little sister reacted.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to return to bliss and believe in a benefactor who had unlimited resources? But here’s the catch, it can be hard to receive from God, too. This has to do with humility, assumptions and expectations.

I think sometimes we relate the quirky interactions here on earth with how God must be. But, God is not man.

Expectations and Assumptions

Have you ever thought, “If something good happens, then something bad must happen”? Or have you ever hear people say, “If I become a Christian, I’ll have to become a missionary in Africa”? Today’s version is more like: I’ll have to give up my identity to follow God.

It may look like that from the outside–but it’s more like clinging to God tighter than anything else. And then when you have held onto something real, you loosen your grip on all the “else.”

Having a cost is not the same as transaction.

The point is, it’s possible to be too full of expectation to receive a gift. God does not give like the world. It is not a transaction, requiring payment. He doesn’t dose equal amount of bad in our lives to balance the good. He doesn’t even require us to accept. He just waits at the door. God gives without obligation.

The things you relinquish, like your fears and your lusts, are on your own timing. That’s why some people can be believers for decades and still need milk instead of flourishing. If we understand this freedom, we can become better at receiving all the things God has for us. And receive from others.

This post has made assumptions of privilege, but assumptions don’t have a place in gift giving.

Don’t assume the giver is obligated.

Don’t assume that the giver doesn’t know you, see you, or want to bless you.

Don’t assume you will owe them something.

Just receive.

Out of obligation

Some shoppers have a goal to purchase all gifts before December first. I once heard that my grandma started buying in January. This made more sense a century ago when we lived heirloom lives, instead of the disposable lives we live now.

I don’t know many people who long for things, because most of us get what we want within a pretty short time frame–or at least a plastic version of it. Again, this shows the privileged culture.

Even if the giver bought you something ages ago, that you never wanted, and gave it just because it is tradition to give gifts, you can still receive it with thanksgiving. Even if they felt obligated, they aren’t. They didn’t have to give you anything. You are only responsible for your reaction, and no one else’s actions or motivations.

To be known

We want gifts that show we are known and seen. In my post last week, I mentioned that I’d given books that I’d loved. I have often given things that I wanted myself.

When God gives you something, it’s about you. When humans give you something, it isn’t always. Sometimes it’s about them. And why isn’t that OK? Not knowing the hidden places of your heart and your secret desires (or spoken desires) does not mean that they do not want to know you.

Sometimes a gift is just an “I was thinking about you trinket.”

If you want to be searched and known…don’t look on earth.

Transactional: no expectations or obligation

Sometimes we are not good at receiving because we assume the gift comes with a price. Often they do. At least the expectation that you will enjoy it, or the requirement of a thank you card. Yeah, sometimes there are expectations. But recompense is up to you. Even if the consequence is their despair, loss of relationships…or no more gifts.

Again, you can’t control their motives. And wanting to control them is the same kind of weird transaction they are attempting. Be free. You are only responsible for yourself.

Be humble in words, if not feelings

Not everything should be about you, even your gift. Maybe the giver just loves to shop and doesn’t have a place to put it all. But even if they are a compulsive buyer, and just get a thrill from purchasing, they gave it to you for a reason.

Set aside your expectations. Set aside your assumptions. Just receive with humility.

Even more humility if you don’t need it, want it, understand why they gave it to you, or it’s a near-miss from what you really wanted.

And if you care to offer a gift back to them, more than just saying thanks, visibly enjoy the process.

Before You Give

Posted on by Hilarey

Here is another post I lost last year. The sequel will come next week. Happy December!

Before You Give

Originally Posted December 12, 2022

I scratched this post last week, because I was still working it out in my heart. I want to preface, “Before You Give” and next week’s, “Before you Receive” posts with the caveat that I do neither well. So it’s coming from a broken place.

They also take a great deal of privilege for granted. Talking about gift giving assumes you are not at war, or barely surviving. It assumes you have someone to give a gift to, or someone to spend a holiday with. It assumes that there is enough space in your life to think about this extraneous part of the holiday.

My sister and I have a birthday three days apart. We mostly celebrated together, and I often received the same gift as her for both birthday and Christmas, even though she was two years younger. If I put something attainable on my list, my parents always bought it for me. I don’t have hurt there. But I didn’t always have a request. My sister was better about goals, and knowing what she wanted.

When I was around eight years old, she presented me with a gift at our joint family party. She would have been six. It shocked me because I hadn’t even considered getting her something. Who helped her? Where did she get the money? So, I went to my room and crawled out the window. I walked to the store and bought her a notepad. It wasn’t special or pretty, just something to ease a feeling I didn’t have words to explain. I got in trouble when I came home because I hadn’t told anyone where I’d gone.

This doesn’t mean I bought her something the following year, I honestly can’t remember.

I enjoy giving, I really do. But maybe because I don’t function with clutter in my space, buying trinkets feels like I might burden someone. But then, I think of the Christmas (and other) decorations I’ve been given, and I renege. I am a little jealous of people who bring beautiful things into their world. Nevertheless, it makes me slow to shop in December.

I actually prefer to give money, but it’s quite anti-climatic when two people exchange checks. I’m also a little jealous of people who give well.

The surplus of it all

I’m sure I’ve mentioned the book When Helping Hurts by Steven Corbett before. A favorite revelation for me was that Westerners tend to associate wealth with material goods, but ignore other shortages like poverty of community. America is just as impoverished as the rest of the world, but we value our wealth, and dis-value their.

A friend once told me that her church took up an offering for the poor. She went through her own possessions to contribute to the box waiting in the foyer. But when the church’s collection bin arrived at her house, she realized, for the first time, that her family was poor. Here’s a pull on internal organ strings: the items were mostly unfit for the second hand store. Used and worn out.

Poverty

She didn’t know she was poor until someone else decided her family needed more crap.

Hallmark has informed me I should slow down at Christmas and focus on what truly natters. But I still struggle with the first-world mindset that abundance and lack are tangible things. Abundance means parties, decorations, food and gifting more than pondering Immanuel. At least, holiday abundance does.

I don’t pretend that Christmas is another skirmish in the war, since it was pagan holiday first, and Christ was likely born in September. Also, our role isn’t to mandate God’s kingdom of peace, but that’s another topic. It helps me to think of Christmas as redeemable, not reclaimable. I know those are practically synonyms, but I mean making something that is broken into something that is whole as opposed to reclaiming control over something that “used to be good.”

If you ever think, meh, this month–know that you don’t have to glorify December to be a Christian. Neither is one day or month enough to contemplate that almighty ether God took on the boundary of human flesh. God with us calls for year-round awe and wonder.

Still, gifts are a significant part of December.

Gifts

In the past, I’ve bought books as gifts. I love books even if I am more likely to loan them out than collect them. Because, that requires clutter, or more shelves. But, when I’ve given books that changed my paradigm, they were seen as back-handed insults. Granted, a title like The Emotionally Destructive Relationship might seem to imply that the recipient had a need I could see, and they don’t. When in reality, it’s just that brain candy books don’t often challenge my perspective.

All this has made me ponder the statement that it is “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I’ve always assumed that was because you had something to give, instead of being the one who was in need. And isn’t that a blessing? Again, that’s through my lens of abundance and lack being tangible things.

Giving without a weird motive

You’ll always have a motive when you give. Sometimes you’ll just want to perform recompense and take part in tradition. Usually, you want to surprise and bless someone. Most often, you’ll want to give someone something they didn’t know they needed or wanted.

But motives go deeper. Sometimes you want to convey that you know them, and you want to show them how much you really see them. This becomes more difficult the further you are from the person in either proximity or relationship. In this case, there’s always the candle.

A few years back someone at a shop I frequented gave me a lengthy complaint about her kids regulating what she permitted to give her grandchildren that Christmas. She said they wanted gift cards, outings, or money. So entitled! It incensed her that she couldn’t wrap something up and watch the kids open it. She felt like her children were stealing joy from her. Mid-rant, she switched gears to talk about how cluttered their house was, and how many toys her grandkids had. She wanted the joy of giving them something they didn’t know they needed or wanted, but she didn’t see her family’s needs and wants herself.

The only time you can really give someone something that they don’t know they needed or wanted is when there is a great disparity of wealth and knowledge, like, when your kids are less than five years old. And thinking there is a disparity can originate from either kindness, or arrogance. That’s something else in the book When Helping Hurts, when you descend upon someone claiming that you understand their lack, and know how to fix it, yet are blind to your own lack, then you cause harm.

When I gave books that were important to me, I think I made the gift about me instead of about the recipient. (Next week’s post, we’ll talk about receiving.) You can donate year-end gifts to reduce your tax liability, or you can donate out of compassion. The motive effects you, but it does matter to God as well. You can give because you feel obligated, because you want to receive thanks, or because you know what they need and will improve their life. And for all of you who give well: you can give because you love. You give because you want to.

The recipient still gets the gift.

Giving without control

We had a youth pastor as a friend who mentioned that he never gave to his own ministry. He said that if he did, he would still have control over the money. He believed the point of tithing was to relinquish control of your money, because it is humbling to let power leave your hands and to say to God that he is more valuable to you.

Giving gifts is like that. If you give, the recipient doesn’t have to treasure it. They don’t have to thank you. They can sell it and spend it on riotous living. If you are concerned that the gift will be spent on cheap thrills and fast food, don’t give it. Because once you have handed it over, it’s theirs, to re-gift, discard, or put on a shelf.

The difference your motive makes, takes place inside of you. There is nothing wrong with the simple motivation of tradition. But since I will always have a motive, I want to check it honestly.

And sometimes, gift giving includes paying for something you don’t value, or want to spend money on, because it’s what the other person really wants.

The Hevel that You Know

Posted on by Hilarey

Originally Posted November 6, 2022.

Tomorrow is the second Tuesday in November. I find myself happy that 2023 is not a presidential year. We hopefully have 12 more months before another civil war reenactment, where brother rises against brother and son against father. Maybe it’s our country’s legacy to fight our family to the death over state’s rights and racial inequality.

I’ve always considered it a duty to vote, even though I was pretty young when I first heard Stalin’s discouraging quote about the one who counted the votes deciding more than the one who cast them. It still felt very American, since some countries don’t have an opportunity to think about their preference for one overlord more than another.

However, I often treated voting as a strategy of whom to vote against, not necessarily who I was for. It was a lesser of two evils approach, although I did mostly vote party line. I am not sure if I will vote in the future since I found out I had an Anabaptist ancestor who was persecuted. I expect most people who don’t vote strictly party-line tend to consider one or two issues, especially if that issue hurts their heart or livelihood more than another. Or if they benefit personally because they get to smoke weed, their 401(k) grows or they get debt forgiveness.

The problem is when we try to define one issue our nation faces as being more godly than another. Sometimes when I see old, angry men on corners with “ABORTION KILLS” signs, I assume their motivation is to avoid financial punishment on our nation from a God who values life, more than they are motivated for that little life or the one carrying it.

One thing I regret about the atmosphere I raised my children is how faith and politics intermingled—but it’s what I knew. If you confuse nationalism with adoration of the Most High God, and then someday want to vote differently… you might have to cast aside faith to change political affiliation.

I’m not blaming one party over another. I think both conservatives and progressives can legitimately look across the divide and say, “How can you love God and vote like that? Haven’t you read such-and-such scripture?”

The problem is more that we look across the divide instead of seeking common good. It certainly seems like whatever beneficial thing a president wants, the opposing party… opposes. Everyone is less concerned about the detriment to the country than the detriment to the party they… oppose.

It’s silly-naïve to imagine that when your candidate is elected, all your worries will be over. I remember feeling a little nauseous when “our” candidate was elected years ago. People in my circle rejoiced like it was the trumpet sound of the Lord’s return and I wondered if we still needed to pray for our country. Or if it was all taken care of since he professed Christ. On the flip side—it isn’t the beginning of Armageddon if your candidate loses, and evil incarnate wins. But, since the beast does usher in certain events, it’s common enough to hear the fear that the opposing party is evil incarnate.

That’s a pretty bold statement, though. And Christians say it about both Trump and Biden. In Acts 23, Paul calls a man a white-washed wall but then finds out he was speaking to the high priest. He quotes Exodus saying that he would not have said it if he’d known, because, “It is written, ‘Do not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” In that moment, he was defending a stance more righteous than political affiliation and border control. I wonder if, since we Christians are not under the law, we sometimes feel like we are above it.

There are many reasons to submit to unjust, unrighteous authorities—even slavery and kings who send you to your death. But the reasons are Christian, not American. So you have to decide which you are. The terms are not synonymous like our grandparents preached.

Praying for your team

Sometimes, when I bring my prayer requests before God, I think about King Hezekiah. He was sick and going to die, but he wept bitterly. The Lord gave him 15 more years. During his second chance, he foolishly generated the future destruction of his kingdom. He also likely sired one of Israel’s worst kings during that time. It makes me want to add a caveat when I pray for things, “Lord, if it is your perfect will.” It’s a healthy fear that God would listen to me when I really don’t know what will bring me true fulfillment, joy, peace and security.

I think this is an especially interesting story to consider when you cry out, “long live my favorite candidate’s reign!” He could be Hezekiah for us, even if the economy revives and gas prices go down in the meantime.

James warns us not to make plans because our whole life is a mist or a vapor. (I know that’s a throat punch to the ego.) Ecclesiastes certainly reiterates that our whole life is meaningless: vanity, vapor, a mist—hevel.

The point of our life is not to vote for the hevel that you know, but to bring God’s kingdom to earth as it operates in heaven. And even if we vote to protect the oppressed, marginalized, and the foreigner in our land—we aren’t off the hook for acting in love when we come face to face with them.

I Am the Church

Posted on by Hilarey

I thought I’d get this blog going again sooner, but I spent the last several months creating a website for our writer’s group and a narrating a new audio book. Now I have more capacity. However, I intend to re-post many of the blogs I accidentally deleted.

If you click on the image and use the affiliate link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Happy Independence Day!

A few months ago, I was visiting with new acquaintances. We were talking about our journeys: raising & launching children, personal faith-walks and church experience. I’ve wondered if you can live this (modern, western Christian) life without church-hurt and religious trauma. Or is it reserved for second-generation Christians—those raised up in it?

Honestly, the tone shifted to blame. We all had been hurt, and had people we dearly loved driven away from the church. Churches injure so many. Christians are judgemental and hypocritical. Organized religion is one mouth and hundreds of ears—not a healthy body. Really, it’s all the church’s fault…

But part way through the conversation, I felt the Spirit say to me: You are the church.

I am the Church.

I changed the topic.

However, after processing it over the past weeks, I can own it. I’m part of the big-C church, corporate body of Christ. Also, I have sat on pews and folding chairs in the little-c local church. In both places, I’ve been wounded. I’ve also been catty, self-absorbed and mislead people about my own dysfunction. Sometimes it was because there was merely a thread holding me together, but sometimes it was just practice. Either way, I have been more concerned about what I wore than what I said, was dismissive and quick to lash out to protect myself instead of others. And…so quick to judge.

It is the way human judgement functions: If I can place fault on someone for their circumstance, then there is a path to prevent those circumstances from happening to me. I can control my destiny.

And being in control is very American. We control our freedom with the second amendment. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we can help God out there.) We control our freedom by “helping” other countries choose their government as it aligns with our world-politic goals, or destroying them when it does not. We control our freedom to consume by pillaging resources, grateful for “the blessing” that we are on the money-side of capitalism.

Yes… I do eat avocados.

I am American.

Freedom is an acceptable idol we lift up in our sanctuary. It probably isn’t a false god if you thank God-Most-High for it. Nationalism is allowable because our forefathers came here for religious freedom. Certainly not societal equalization, and the opportunity to prosper financially.

From one side of the mouth we condemn immigrants to obey the law and from the other, we celebrate when our forefathers did not.

We have independence because we probably fought harder for it than other countries, or at least we did it in the name of God, so He blessed it. We also toss His name into our anthems and pledges. So it’s fine if He shares the throne with our flag—right? We are part of the redeemed. We can look across the ocean at Babylon. And shake our heads. Forgetting one important thing…

Without Christ, I am Babylon.

In the new sanctuary we are attending, the American flag shares the stage with the cross and the Christian flag. I’m very aware it is privilege allowing me to bristle at the equal prominence—while believers under other flags meet in secret, risking life and family.

In part, I am celebrating the freedom that I have taken for granted this week. And I hope you do too. But, I will be keeping two things in mind:

First, a statement from my prayer partner, “Really, do we have any freedom except through Christ?”

And second, something my daughter recently quoted to me. “None of us is free until all of us are free.“

May we not exercise or worship our freedom at the cost of another’s. Hang on—may we not hold anything more dear than Christ.

I heard recently that the Roman Army swore allegiance to Cesar and the gods before entering service. The action was called a sacrament. The early church took a different sacrament of body and blood, and I think much of the political statements in the New Testament are lost in our context.

Patriotism is not holy. Relinquishing freedom as a devoted slave isn’t sweet affection. It is extreme loyalty. So, while we lift up our country and, hand over heart, swear allegiance to it alone, think of one more thing true citizen of heaven:

“Any society whom Babylon’s cap fits must wear it. Any society which absolutizes its own economic prosperity at the expense of others comes under Babylon’s condemnation.”
― Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation