Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel (Samuel Johnson).

Patriotism is popular. Loyalty to a nation is seen as important and good. Most Christians think that it is important to be patriotic. Many churches display their nation’s national flag.

Patriotism is dangerous because it sustains nationalism. Nationalism can only survive with patriotic support. During the last two centuries, the political space has been dominated by nationalism. The nation state has been the main actor in the world stage. Patriotism has made nationalism is one of the most powerful forces in the modern world.

Allegiance

Humans seem to have a need to give their allegiance to a larger group. For modern people that allegiance is given to their nation. However, our greatest allegiance should be to our families. Parents are must love and nurture their children. Children must honour their parents.

Our next greatest allegiance should be to our local community. The Bible speaks about hundreds fifties and tens (Deut 1:15). Ten refers to ten families. A group of ten families is the basic social unit. These tens will join together into fifties or hundreds for specific purposes. In traditional cultures this was allegiance to a tribal group. In the modern world this should be the local community.

The local community is where we should get protection from evil. The local community is the place where justice must function (Deut 1:17). Education functions best in a committed community. Effective social welfare must be provided within a local community.

Modern people refuse to commit to their local community. They drive past it to belong to something bigger.

False Promise

The nation state has taken over all the roles that should be being provided within local communities. However, it promises to give everything but gives very little. It takes a lot, but provides very little in return. Nations states cannot protect their citizens from violent crime. National bureaucracies are run very ineffective social welfare programs. Justice from the centre is rarely just. Nation states cannot produce stable society.

Nation state has a strong tendency to get involved wars. Most of the wars of the twentieth century were driven by nationalism. Nationalism dominated the twentieth century and terrible evils were done in the name of nationalism.

We commit to a nationalism, that cannot protect us from crime and violence, that cannot provide economic security and cannot provide us with security. The nation state is a failure wearing a façade of respectability provided by blind patriotism.

Patriotism is the thin end of the wedge of nationalism.

Nationalism buttresses state power

Nations will Disappear

When the Kingdom of God comes, nations will disappear. Although we see them as a normal party of life, they have no place in God’s plan.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28)

A nation is not created by a common language. Canadians and Americans speak English, but they are not one nation. A common culture does not create a nation. A nation is defined by a common ruler: whether king or parliament. A nation is a group of people that are ruled by the same political ruler. A nation has a common set of laws. The boundary of the nation includes all territory where that law applies.

When the Kingdom of God has come, all people will acknowledge the law of God. His law will be the only law, so kings and parliament will have nothing to do and will cease to exist. If there is no king or parliament, there will be nation. The only boundaries will be between areas were the law of God is acknowledged and nations that still want human laws. Within areas where God is acknowledged their will be no boundaries, because there will be no kings and parliament.

Different localities and communities will have their own judges, but they will be all applying the law of God. Different languages may be spoken in different places and culture will differ from place to place, but their will be no political boundaries, because there will be no political institutions. Christ will be all in all.

The book of Revelation is about the disenfranchisement of kings (and democracies). They will hide under the rocks and in the caves (Rev 6:15-16).