A Song of Peace, ELW 887
Devotion
The text for today's hymn cannot be published due to copyright limitations. We apologize for the inconvenience.
I have a T-shirt that says "Jesus loves you. But I'm his favorite." That all too often seems to be the attitude of many Americans about this wonderful, remarkable country of ours. The United States seems often to be equated with ancient biblical Israel—we are the "shining light on the hill," an example to the rest of the world. As citizens we are all too often guilty of a kind of nation-olatry, twisting country and God together in an inseparable mix of devotion and allegiance. From this vantage point it is hard for some to see the faults and mistakes we have made and continue to make.
This hymn would seem timely in this hyper-charged political year. As I write these thoughts at the end of March, it is difficult to imagine what the political scene will be like by the end of April when you are reading them. During my ministry I often chose this hymn for the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July as an antidote to the narrowly nationalistic rhetoric that sometimes surrounds that holiday. This year in particular I find it important to be reminded of the fact that we are just one nation among many. It so simply says we love our country as well we should and (not but) we celebrate others' love of their countries too. We all stand under the authority and judgement of God as individuals and as nations. Peace rather than power and dominance is the hope and dream to guide us.
Prayer
God of all the nations, teach us to live as members of the family of nations and use our political power to seek peace for all nations. Amen.