I asked my friends last night what patriotism is. I still don't quite get it. And I am far from feeling patriotic myself. I don't know how to have pride in a country whose values and choices I disagree with.
Is citizenship like a relationship where you choose to overlook the flaws and love nonetheless?
The only citizenship I am truly proud to have is that to the Kingdom of God. And it isn't even one that I received from taking a test or having a birthright, it was all because of Jesus on the cross--awesome!
This is not to say that I don't appreciate living in the United States. Most definitely not what I am saying. In fact, I even keep a list of the great things about living in the United States (like how there are free drinking fountains, libraries, and that I can write something like this, to name a few).
Maybe this whole patriotism thing will come later. Or maybe not. For the time being, I get to enjoy the Olympics by celebrating whenever anybody does well and being bummed whenever someone fails--irregardless of nationality or citizenship.
Citizenship is like your birth certificate. Patriotism is about great family get-togethers. One is a right (or a matter-of-fact), and the other is pride. I'm grateful for the privileges of my U.S. citizenship, but I'm not a wave-flapping patriotic cheerleader. I'd say, focus your thoughts on adding to that list of fountains and libraries, and channel the negativity into use of your freedom of speech to blogs, newspapers, Senator or Representative's inbox.
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