I am a devotee of book reviews. In our current society we have so many well educated, informed, and thoughtful persons competent to put their research and thought into writing that no one has the time, and few with the fortune, to follow the trail of all the great ideas and movements of importance to mankind. We can, with some effort, find summaries of the best stuff. So it was that I found, in my intrepid forays into book reporting, an excerpt from Eric Felten: Loyalty: The Vexing Virtue. Again, for me, I found the biblical pattern on issues of import for individuals and society (massive congregations of populations). I evaluate life patterns with the reporting and interpretation of Scripture.
Felten, without reference to Scripture (in the review), provides sermonettes one quickly identifies with Scriptural ideas and their application. He uses the family (as does the Scripture) for his parable of loyalty to country, especially love in the family. For example, a person loves family unconditionally because this is his or her own, a given (gift). We do not love our families because they are the greatest families in the world, but because they are ours. The identified need not be a great family, or a great country, but they are ours and usually loved. This orientation introduces a kind of humility (an important factor to gain the most from God) – that love is present, and survives (overcomes) the wrong in the context of the nation. Persons try to do what can be done to recognize and correct the wrong. To announce with pride that this is the greatest country in the world is to make too great assumption, too arrogant beyond respectfulness – so invites conflicts, especially conflicts of prejudice. Pride of nations may lead to warfare – death.
All this fits the message of Scripture – to the meaning of one’s country and love in all. It is interesting that Felten calls on both C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, well known Christians of the 20th Century, for some of his cherished ideas. One is checked for a bit that Chesterton is quoted with one of his most famous statements taken from Stephen Decatur – my country, right or wrong was roughly like saying, my father, drunk or sober. So Chesterton does not mean we find our country the best because we have been born in it, but because it is ours. That is quite a difference and protects the values of others for their countries. Now, what shall we do about ownership? We begin by balance – that this is one world, of which we are a part so we are committed to find its best good, and to advance that purpose, not with any put-down, real or implied, of any other. (I impose some thoughts here caught from Scripture.)
Distortion of God-privilege was an error made by Israel, gaining larger scope under David’s/Solomon’s reign and focused in Judah’s tribe. God, in Abraham chose Israel through King David of Judah for his plan in Messianic purpose. When that vision was diluted, Israel lost either through personal pride in God’s specialness for purpose, or by the interpretation of other nations to God’s favoritism – likely some of both. So it has been through centuries the anti-Semitic prejudices intensified. They intensified even in a disconnection from Jesus, and continued in mystery reaching peak under Hitlerian rule in Germany. Allied success in World War II did not end anti-Semitism. Islamic, Jewish and Christian conflicts, appearing at this writing in the daily reporting of the news, are part of the continuance of the old misapplication of Israel’s meaning. Recognizing Christ’s meaning might end that long dark pride and prejudice to the practices of peace and love. By the grace of God, the millennia long distortion, the arrogance of rigid loyalties, would point to the Christian call of the love for all humanity, which God credits as consideration for him. We begin with prayer, with the understanding for how God works in common grace for all, and we do what we can, to love, live, persuade, practice peace and love for all peoples. It may appear as a joke that God’s answer to tanks and rockets is love (respect for others), and service (effort to meet the needs of all) so to give no reason for life negatives – all destructive of the good will and abundance of Scripture. No matter what others may do, as for Christians the grace of God will work within the contexts in which they will live, strive and perform. It is a matter of success defined by faithfulness. God will never ask: Who won? – His question: Have my servants been found faithful to earth and heaven? *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020