Intervention

We can be confident that God intervenes in the lives of nations - even though the U.S. certainly does not have a perfect history, we also recognize the principles upon which it was founded, including a devotion to God and a commitment to the worth of the individual. Psalm 33 reminds us:
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

But, time and again, just as Israel experienced, God will speak to a nation and offer it a chance to turn to Him. The United States has a rich history and a foundation of Judeo-Christian principles, but we also know that we cannot expect Him to bless a nation that does not adhere to His teachings.  When humans decide they will go their own way, He will call them back, but if they reject Him, individually and collectively, as we see in Scripture, they will reap what they have sown and experience the consequences of their rejection.  Thankfully, we have a loving Savior who desires for all to come to Him and who brings forgiveness to each of us through His death and resurrection.

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God has placed us on this planet for this particular moment in history, to join together to make history for His glory.  And, we have a place where we live, a locale in which He has chosen for us to live and to make an impact.  He has placed men and women in nations, in cities, in communities - we may
have different backgrounds, but as Paul said in Acts 17:
26 ...He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

America the nation is certainly not perfect, but it has a Constitution that is devoted to pointing its citizens to a "more perfect union," a phrase that the Vice-President used in a recent discussion about dealing with race relations.  In other words, we get the government we desire, and unfortunately, deserve, and "We the people" have a say in that direction.  And, because we have been called by God to be together as citizens of this republic, we have a duty to one another to move together in unity.

There are many who are not satisfied with the U.S. right now, and dissatisfaction can certainly lead things to get better - and we have that opportunity, because of the Biblical concepts of life and liberty that are woven in the DNA of America, to be able to work for the common good.  We can build one another up and build together.  But, there are also those who want to destroy and build something else, centered around a godless system of socialism, the end of which, as it's been pointed out, could lead to a totalitarian form of leadership, because, after all, someone has to be at the top of the food chain.  Our forefathers desired for our nation to be rooted on Biblical principles - a concept that those who came later inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance - "one nation under God."  When we depart from God or no longer seek Him, then trouble ensues.

Two-thirds of Americans still say they are proud to be an American, according to a recent Gallup poll, with 42% saying they are "extremely proud" and 21 percent saying they are "very proud."

Both of those, however, are, as the survey summary points out, "the lowest they have been since Gallup's initial measurement in 2001."

The summary states, "These latest data are from a May 28-June 4 poll, which also found 20% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S., and presidential approval fell back to 39%."

And, this level of "extreme pride" is lowest in the lower adult age group - 18-to-29 year olds.  Only 20% of respondents in that demographic said they were "extremely" proud to be American.  The summary notes: 

Since 2016, extreme pride is down among all major subgroups. And this measure of national pride is at its lowest among several demographic subgroups that have been consistently less likely to express extreme pride over the years. These groups, which are typically Democratic-leaning, include young adults aged 18-29, women, college graduates and nonwhites.

Two-thirds of Republicans expressed a level of pride to be American, but even that is a decline. The summary says, "Although Republicans still report more acute pride than Democrats and independents, the latest poll finds a 9-percentage-point decrease in Republicans' national pride. This marks the largest year-over-year decline in the percentage of Republicans who say they are extremely proud. There was not meaningful change in the past year in the percentage of independents (41%) or Democrats (24%) who say they are extremely proud to be Americans."

And, the Rasmussen poll which measures whether or not Americans feel the country is on the right track or wrong track, shows a steep decline from just before the pandemic hit, late February: then, it was 45% of likely voters feeling the country was heading in the right direction - last week, it was 25%.

To be devoted to our country is a recognition of the common bonds we share and the principles upon which this nation was founded.  Christian believers should not worship America or prioritize our civic responsibilities over our calling to follow Christ.  But, because we follow Him, we can heed His direction regarding how to be engaged with the culture, including the political.

And, while there may be a decreased level of satisfaction with our nation now doesn't mean things cannot get better and we can pursue matters of justice in our land...actually, because our nation was built on with an understanding that all are created equal - a premise that has not always been lived out - we can progress to recognize our opportunity to craft a society that recognizes the value of every human being.  Born or unborn.   That's the standard; a standard that can motivate us as Christians and as Americans.  And, the Church can lead the way in teaching all of us to love one another - to love and place God first and allow Him to show us how we can live that out.