Loyalty + Gratitude = Patriotism

By Jessica Greer

During the American Revolution loyalty walked hand-in-hand with sacrifice.

The colonies became so enveloped with the possibility of a freedom and liberty that transcended all social classes and religious groups that they united to defend – not a man or a theory – but a right that came from God Himself.

In his article, “Boycotts made the Revolution Radical,” historian T. H. Breen argues that the colonies’ mass boycott of English merchandise and luxuries created a protest that generated a true spirit of independence.

The Stamp Act of 1765 was one of the first boycotts.

 “Americans could still save their political situation,” Breen said. “All they had to do was reform their buying habits, putting aside the imported goods that had made them seem richer than they actually were.”

The challenge for Revolutionary Americans, according to Breen, was to “negotiate between extreme self-indulgence and primitive simplicity.”

People had to deny themselves the unnecessary accessories that they had become so attached to.

But early Americans readily embraced the idea of giving up the superficialities they had accumulated in order to maintain inexorable independence.

The colonies rallied together and became committed to a greater purpose.

When America began to isolate herself ideologically and economically, the power of independence and individuality became an American characteristic of its own.

Americans became grateful for a liberty unprecedented rather than clinging to a lifestyle that would soon fade.

The patriotism of a nation is directly related to the gratitude the citizens have for their country.

In our society for example, we have senior citizen discounts.

Now, when we read or hear this phrase we may automatically think of it as just another way to help older people.

But the term senior citizen is an indirect honor. We are making the assumption that elderly citizens in this country have contributed for many years to this society and to our way of life.

Thus this is just one small way we can acknowledge their loyalty.

American loyalty is distinct in that the people are not committed to merely a man or a party, but to a constitution which was written initially as a covenant between man and God.

It’s a constitution that mimics Great Britain’s Magna Carta of the year 1215, yet it hails an even higher King.

The American constitution draws from many philosophies and truths about human rights; however it recognizes above all a higher entity as the sole power in giving humans worth and purpose.

Loyalties within many nations are based on superficialities that only serve men; or even just one man.

During the Bolshevik or Soviet Revolution in 1917, Russia was overtaken by Marxism and the revolutionary power of Vladimir Lenin. People blindly followed a man that guaranteed true economic and social freedom.

After this man died another man named Joseph Stalin arose to power. Stalin tyrannically ruled over the Soviet Union from 1922-1953.

As history unfolds and light is shed on the reign of Stalin, over five million deaths have surfaced that were casualties along the way in the pursuit of pure Communism.

In the 1930’s many Germans regarded the rule of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party as a justified and legitimate cause.

People in Germany denied the disappearance and murder of millions of Jews because they entrusted their hearts and minds to one man.

In this present age the threat of Islamic fascism has become more relevant with every suicide bombing, and the heightened onslaught of terrorism in Western countries.

It is clear that men are dedicated and loyal to another cause unworthy and unjustified.

Furthermore, loyalty is both a positive and negative attribute.

The masses have often flocked to leaders or parties out of the motivation of either fear or self-benefit.

They have devoted themselves to promoting the figure of a man as king or lord at the expense of their freedom.

However, American loyalty is made up of very different ingredients.

In fact, American history is replete with accounts of men and women loyal to causes greater than themselves – causes which achieved freedom for people as they obeyed God.

On September 11, 2001, Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci described her impression of American patriotism: “I can't imagine a country more patriotic than America,” she said. “God! I was so moved to see those workers clenching their fists and waving their flags and roaring USA–USA–USA – without anyone ordering them to.”

But patriotism in modern America has been replaced by pluralism and self-indulgence. Materialism and consumerism have robbed the hearts of middle-class Americans, creating a greed that has crippled their loyalty and gratitude.

Immediate gratification is the only reality that little children of this age understand, while the concepts of patience and sacrifice have become completely foreign.

The characteristics that have sustained this great nation for over two hundred years have become incrementally ancient as globalism rises and technological progression replaces traditional learning.

The age of a nation set apart is reaching its final peak.

Originally the covenant between God and man created the most effective and liberating constitution in the history of the world.

But American patriotism can only be preserved by the people themselves.

No man, theory, or cause is greater than God Himself.

The Lord gives Israel its stipulations in Deuteronomy 6:13-25: “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth. You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.”

In conclusion Israel is commanded to pass these remembrances on to the next generation and tell them “to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.”

The covenant between God and Israel is unique unto them as a chosen people. Nevertheless, when God favored the forefathers of America because of their submission to His word, they were also making a pledge.

The responsibility to uphold Judeo-Christian values is not simply a personal agenda; it is an obligation that every American has as a citizen living in a blessed nation.

American patriotism is linked to American loyalty to biblical truths, and to our gratitude for a nation under God.