Patriotism...

I am about to offend some I am sure.

On the way home from work today I heard a song that talked about being an American, and thanking the boys over in other lands for protecting our freedom. That got me to thinking a little bit. I began thinking about my freedom, and from whence it came. No offense to the soldiers all over the world, but you don't protect my freedom. Jesus bought my freedom on the Cross 2000 years ago, and protects it with his blood and intercession for me. You see, real freedom, the kind that God reveals to us; has nothing to do with the autonomy that we Americans hold so dearly. The freedom God reveals is freedom from sin, and freedom to be enslaved to himself. I am free from the one thing that has lasting control over mankind. I am free from sin and the death it causes. I am free to follow God, and enslave myself to him. That is the grandest of all freedoms, the freedom to enslave yourself God, because he and enslavement to him is the best thing for us. For this reason I can say, boys; I love you and support you with my prayers, and any other way that I can, but you don't protect my freedom.
You may protect my almost unchecked ability to pursue life, liberty, and hapiness, but you do not protect my freedom.

Now some will argue that the boys on foreign shores protect my freedom to worship as I please. To that I say, go ahead, try to take it away from me. The Romans tried to take the faith in, and worship of Christ Jesus away from the early Church. The faith spread like wildfire. The Communist tried to do the same, but the Church never died in Russia. Chairman Mao and his henchmen did all they could to eradicate Yahweh adoration, and could never stomp the Church out. Go ahead, try to take my right to worship away. Man never gave me the right to worship God to begin with, so man can't take it away. Also, I welcome the testing, for it will be for my good. Maybe if we lost some of our "freedom" we would follow God more devoutly.

(Aside) Now, I know that it is easy to say all of this in FW, Texas, and much harder to live out in Bagdad, Islamabad, Jakarta, Phnom Pen, New Delhi,Khartoum, et al. And I am not rushing headlong into persecution, but Jesus bought my freedom, and he is the one who protects it.

I don't mean to cause a firestorm. And if I were a little less brash and impetuous I would sit on this for awhile, but I'm not so let me hear what you think. (And please, don't accuse me of hating the military or not supporting our troops. That is not the real issue.)

P.S. I do confess that our boys are doing a great job of protecting us from those who wish to harm us, and for that I am thankful to God, and to our troops.