A Word about Patriotism and Faith by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
Yesterday, we remembered the events of September 11, 2001, twenty-five years later. I still vividly remember what happened because I was the spokeswoman for the airport in San Antonio, Texas.
On 9/11, I was preparing for the day when someone from the airport staff raced into my office, frantically yelling, “Turn on your TV! Turn on your TV!” That’s when I saw the first plane hit the World Trade Center tower. 1-1/2 hours later, we held a press conference to explain what we were doing to secure the airport. For the next year, my job was to assure the community that our airport was safe.
What I saw after 9/11 was a tremendous bipartisan patriotism. People cared about our country again. They respected the flag. They were concerned about protecting the United States. We sang God Bless America with tears in our eyes because the song had new meaning. We looked to God to bless America again.
Unfortunately, I have seen this patriotism and devotion to God erode until this week at the Republican Mid-Term Convention. I was blessed to attend, and I was there with a sea of people wearing my red blouse, not necessarily Republican red, but part of the red, white, and blue that represents our country.
I was touched by the love of country the speakers displayed, but more importantly, by what some overcame through the strength of Christ before stepping into leadership positions.
Ohio Senator John Husted began his life in foster care but was adopted by a family in Northwest Ohio. He worked three jobs so he could attend college, went on to become an All-American football player, and eventually earned the title of “Senator Husted. Husted is a devout Roman Catholic who presses into his faith.
South Carolina’s Tim Scott used the Republican Mid-Term Convention platform to unashamedly point to Jesus as his foundation. He pushed back against a Texas candidate who has twisted truth from the Bible. Houston-based James Talarico has said that God is “nonbinary” and that there are “six sex classifications,” not male and female as God designed.
Scott said, “But Texas, we know who God is,” Scott said. “We’re talking about Jesus.” He called Jesus “the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” “That’s our God,” Scott said. “That’s America. We love our God.” Praise God for Tim Scott’s bold witness!
But the story that inspired me the most was the one UFC Fighting champion and Penn State Wrestling National Champion Bo Nickal shared. Nickal said he reached a point where he realized he needed to change his thinking to find true peace. He made a conscious effort to prioritize faith, family, and character above his sports successes or failures. It was a display of humility by a champion who reprioritized his life.
My prayer for this country is that we come back to faith, that we return to the truth taught in the Bible, and that we give all glory to God, who provides any success or accolade we receive. I pray that we will once again love our country and do whatever we must to protect it.
One star athlete and some key political figures at the Republican Convention were not afraid to point upwards. Let’s do likewise. Let’s stand strong in our faith and rediscover patriotism.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
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