For Which It Stands

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

republic for which it stands:* one nation under God, indivisible, with justice

and liberty for all.

*Punctuation revised for clarity.

Virtually every child in America has recited the Pledge of Allegiance over the

past century. It was first written and used by a Baptist minister in

celebration of the first national Columbus Day in 1892. After undergoing a

few slight revisions over time, the final version we know today was approved

by Congress in 1954, during the Eisenhower administration. That change

added the words “under God” to clearly distinguish America’s Judeo-

Christian foundation from the avowed atheism of Communism. The words of

the Pledge, then as now, had meaning beyond the flag itself.

In itself, the flag—any flag—is just a colorful cloth drapery. No one pledges

allegiance to a piece of fabric, yet we do pledge allegiance to a flag. Why?

Because the flag is a symbol. It stands for something. As the Pledge makes

clear, the true allegiance being pledged is to that “for which it stands.” We

commit ourselves to the glory and sanctity of the symbol because the

symbol actually stands for something far greater. It is the substance that we

hold dear, and only because of the substance do we hold dear the symbol.

Flag Day exists with its accompanying celebrations not merely to honor a

carefully designed decorative banner, but to exalt the nation and values our

flag is intended to represent. When an American sees the Red, White, and

Blue, it evokes something beyond colors and patterns, and that is by design.

It should rightly put us in mind of the shared core values and aspirations

that have been the DNA of our nation. Among non-Americans all around the

world, the US flag triggers thoughts and feelings toward the nation and

values it represents, whether those feelings are good or bad. The symbol

represents the substance.

This is precisely why we are to treat our flag with respect, even reverence,

and why we take pains to teach successive generations to proclaim their

loyalty to it. It is likewise why many who oppose America and her values

stomp or burn the flag. They are not angry because a rectangular piece of

material is offensive; they are opposed to that for which it stands. How we

view and handle the symbol reveals our attitude toward the substance it

symbolizes.

If we show reverence to Old Glory because it is the emblem of the land we

love, how much more ought we to revere the sacred symbols of the Lord and

His Church? Some such things seem obvious, while others may appear less

so. In our society, the lines have been intentionally and increasingly blurred,

even among those who claim to represent the Lord.

It is not hard to find glaring examples of blaspheming God by blaspheming

things that represent God. An intentionally transgressive artist in the 1980s

became famous (or, more to the point, infamous) for his irreverent and

controversial display of a plastic cross in a jar of urine. More recently, I was

shown a video of a so-called pastor who thought it a good idea to relate to

the football fans in his congregation by kicking a Bible across the stage in a

mock field goal attempt during a “worship” service. Most of us reading this

would immediately recognize the sacrilege of an act like that. (Or so I would

hope!) We cannot worship the Lord by disrespecting the things of God or the

symbols that represent Him.

The majority of people, including unbelievers, would be uncomfortable with

that level of blatant disrespect, but most of us pay less attention to more

subtle and vastly more pervasive forms of disrespect. From ubiquitous cross

jewelry worn without thought to using “God” or “Jesus Christ” as

interjections and curses, it is a very real insult to the God we claim to love to

treat sacred symbols in a way that ignores the holiness of what they

represent. If we take the Lord seriously and recognize Him as holy, we must

take seriously the symbols, words, and images that represent Him. This is

why it is customary for men to remove their hats in church or during prayer

(not unlike during our National Anthem); it is a sign of respect. It is why our

grandparents spoke of (and required) wearing our “Sunday best” to church;

it symbolized the reality that gathering with the saints for worship is a

sacred, holy, important thing. We do not worship symbols, but we must

always consider them in light of the substance for which they stand and

handle them accordingly.

We, as the Church of Jesus Christ, are the visible representation of our Lord

in this world. We are His symbol, His flag. The things we do every day, not

merely in church, are set apart to be holy, because we ourselves are set

apart as holy unto the Lord. When we treat the Bride of Christ as common or

unholy, we disrespect her Bridegroom. When our actions represent Him

poorly, we defame the Lord before a watching world. Our actions and

attitudes have meaning far beyond our own moment every bit as much as

the Stars and Stripes mean more than mere decoration; we are

ambassadors of Christ, representing Him in this earthly kingdom. As the

world sees us, they see Him. May we not dishonor Him by failing to take our

role as His representatives seriously.

As you encounter all the symbols of our nation and patriotism this Flag Day

(and every day), let them remind you that we have an even higher calling to

represent Christ well in the world. Let us pledge our allegiance to Christ’s

Church, and to the Lord for which it stands. May we commit to being one

Body under Christ as our Head, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all in

His name.