Where is your Allegiance?
by Pastor Jess Foglesong
I can still remember my childhood classroom days where every morning we had to stand to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance.” And as a kid – of 8 or 9 years old – I never paid too much attention to what the words really meant: To have allegiance to a flag; to our country; to the people? I just knew that it was important to say those words, because the teacher said so; or because it was part of the school rules. Not until many years later did I realize the importance of those words; of patriotism; of honor; of freedom; of democracy.
To have allegiance to one’s country is certainly important and commendable. And certainly most people in the world are very allegiant to their distinct culture, heritage and country: Italians, Irish, Russians, French, Dutch, Norwegians, as well as the English, Chinese, Japanese – and many, many more. All are naturally allegiant to their individual culture – or race: such as Jewish, Hawaiian, or American Indian cultures. Some are so devoted to their culture that – to them, all others are inferior (or at least, irrelevant).
Nationalism for the most part becomes so strong, in some cultures, that it impedes one’s vision of universal “oneness.” That is: humanity, as a whole, created by God. This happened (in the Old Testament) during the final days of the fall of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem: there was so much nationalism and legalism that God Himself decided to go "south" and allowed the people of Israel to be conquered and be exiled to Babylonia, Mesopotamia (today's Iraq) ... Jeremiah 39:1, 2. Instead of being allegiant to the Creator, they (as we are today) looked at Him as secondary to country or culture.
I suggest to you that we look beyond one’s nationalistic interest, and instead focus on the one who made us; and the one who showed us the importance of love and respect for all. Yes, we should never forget who we are, and where we came from; and of course, never stop embracing our own distinct culture. But we must also never forget the Father in Heaven who created us; who was there when we were lost, and brought us back to the living. Our culture; our nationalistic interest will not assure everlasting life. Only God and His angels can do that!
Our full commitment and allegiance to Him should be first on your list. All other things should be secondary. Your faith in His redemptive plan, through the deliverance of the Sacrificial Lamb, is imperative for your survival in this potentially, chaotic universe.
This is where my allegiance is … in God -- Yahweh! Who through His Son, The Christ, saved all of us. Why not celebrate this knowledge, as part of who you are. No matter what ancestry, culture, or country you derive from … don’t forget your true history and who created you.
He has not left the scene. He has been with us from the beginning. His illustrations and signs are everywhere! Don’t shut Him out! Live your life with The Father in mind. Include Him in your daily activities, in your conversations, in your journey.
We are all on a journey … like the multitude of migrating animals, we too are on our own journey home to the Father – to our true parent; to our true heritage, culture, country. To our true “Homeland.”