This past Monday was Memorial Day.  I have always understood Memorial Day to be understood as the recognition of the sacrifice of soldiers who were killed while serving our country.  It is a day of red, white, and blue bursting with patriotism and USAmerican pride.

It does seem that Memorial Day has taken on added meaning over the years.  It now seems to represent a long weekend, the start of “summer,” a day to honor all veterans, a community gathering event, a time to party and barbecue, a reason for marketing and sales.  In the post 9/11 days of renewed patriotism and a political climate which stresses policies endorsing national pride, we can easily lose a sense of the freedoms that the founders embraced.

I am not an activist pastor.  I know many who are, and I am envious of their passion and commitment to their cause.  In my first year (it’s official) I have preached a total of two ‘political’ sermons. Both of those sermons were at the time of the Kavanaugh hearings.   Two sermons out of a potential 52 sermons.  I have included lines in sermons that are political jabs, or ‘wake-up’ lines- meant to evoke, startle, as well as poke and prod the listener to ponder a new idea.  I have never, and don’t ever plan to endorse a political candidate from the pulpit.  However, I do have my own ideas and thoughts and would always welcome a chance to hear yours over a cup of coffee.

I am not a pastor who is a stickler for coloring within the liturgical lines or rigidly conservative in thought and practice.  We sing Christmas songs during the season of Advent (and in July).  We sing patriotic hymns on Sundays close to Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day.  I have followed conversations with pastors who refuse to have the American flag in the sanctuary, sing patriotic hymns, or hymns that seem to equate Christians with God’s soldiers marching off to war.  There are many people who find meaning in those hymns, and that is important to honor, just as it is important to recognize that there are some who offended by those same hymns.

I believe there are parishioners in every church who want their church to be apolitical but patriotic.  This seems to be a contradiction.  It is virtually impossible to be prophetic and apolitical.  Every prophet of the Bible is speaking within the context of the political climate of their day.  They achieved such success that they gained the ear of the king.  In many cases, the prophets were called upon by the kings for an audience and advice.  Even Jesus the Christ shared a message that can be construed as political.  Jesus threatened the political and religious leaders of his day and was executed.

Our patriotic challenge is to memorialize the sacrifice of the dead, and to be cautious of the cause.  We can be prophetic and political, in fact, this is the very thing that makes the church vital to a community.