JULY: RECONCILING PATRIOTISM
"Jesus is the center of our faith,
Christ-centered community is the center of our life,
and reconciliation is the center of our work."
Palmer Becker, August 5, 2005
Christ-centered community is the center of our life,
and reconciliation is the center of our work."
Palmer Becker, August 5, 2005
Read It: Jeremiah 29:7
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
In this passage, the prophet urges the people to seek the peace of the city where they are in exile. Wherever we are, even when it feels polarized and awful, God’s restoration can be found.
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
In this passage, the prophet urges the people to seek the peace of the city where they are in exile. Wherever we are, even when it feels polarized and awful, God’s restoration can be found.
Concept: Reconciliation is the center of our work
Reconciliation is the center of our work. This implies peace-making, seeking restorative justice, and seeing the worth in others. It’s really hard to know how to square that with a patriotic holiday that can easily teeter into worship of self, country and military! And our political climate right now makes it all even trickier.
We did some careful work and offered many suggestions with this topic in 2024, so we encourage you to take a look at that again this year. Visit the 2024 post regarding positive approaches to patriotism Independence Day here.
And we also offer a few additional pieces this year.
(Photo by Derek Owens on Unsplash)
Reconciliation is the center of our work. This implies peace-making, seeking restorative justice, and seeing the worth in others. It’s really hard to know how to square that with a patriotic holiday that can easily teeter into worship of self, country and military! And our political climate right now makes it all even trickier.
We did some careful work and offered many suggestions with this topic in 2024, so we encourage you to take a look at that again this year. Visit the 2024 post regarding positive approaches to patriotism Independence Day here.
And we also offer a few additional pieces this year.
(Photo by Derek Owens on Unsplash)
Pray It: God, we find our freedom in you, not in human government. Guide us to always seek your justice and your peace, wherever we are. Amen
Do It:
Learn about Juneteenth as a family. This is another Independence Day that can be celebrated - the day when all in this country, regardless of skin color, were free. While the holiday is on June 19, looking at it alongside July 4 can be a good counterbalance.
Learn about Juneteenth as a family. This is another Independence Day that can be celebrated - the day when all in this country, regardless of skin color, were free. While the holiday is on June 19, looking at it alongside July 4 can be a good counterbalance.
Explore It:
June 19 is only one day, but the lessons for our lives continue throughout the summer and all year. Slavery and other forms of oppression, both past and present, are difficult concepts for children to understand. Sow seeds of compassion as you explore these topics together. Challenge yourself to help your children become peacemakers in their own situations.
Peruse this resource for insight into the meaning of Juneteenth and ideas into how to explore the concepts with children.
The Helpful Professor states these differences:
Nationalism is a belief that your nation sits at the top of a hierarchy of nations. You believe your nation’s interests are inherently more important than those of any other country in the world.
Patriotism, on the other hand, is simply the love of your country and culture. Patriots know that you can love your own nation without thinking it’s objectively better than anyone else’.
While nationalism and patriotism both represent love of country, patriotism is seen as a positive form of self-expression whereas nationalism is seen as an exclusionary act and assertion of power. (Photo by Jabari Timothy in Unsplash)
June 19 is only one day, but the lessons for our lives continue throughout the summer and all year. Slavery and other forms of oppression, both past and present, are difficult concepts for children to understand. Sow seeds of compassion as you explore these topics together. Challenge yourself to help your children become peacemakers in their own situations.
Peruse this resource for insight into the meaning of Juneteenth and ideas into how to explore the concepts with children.
- Understanding and Celebrating Juneteenth A pdf Resource from the National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Helpful Professor states these differences:
Nationalism is a belief that your nation sits at the top of a hierarchy of nations. You believe your nation’s interests are inherently more important than those of any other country in the world.
Patriotism, on the other hand, is simply the love of your country and culture. Patriots know that you can love your own nation without thinking it’s objectively better than anyone else’.
While nationalism and patriotism both represent love of country, patriotism is seen as a positive form of self-expression whereas nationalism is seen as an exclusionary act and assertion of power. (Photo by Jabari Timothy in Unsplash)
