Dr. Bernard, later this week, Americans are going to celebrate Independence Day, so it seems like an appropriate time to ask you about patriotism and what it means for Christians.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 3, verse 20, he said, for our our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly

wait for the savior of the Lord Jesus Christ and Peter echoed this sentiment when he referred to

Christians as pilgrims and strangers so if our true citizenship is in heaven and we're merely

passing through this world as pilgrims and strangers, how should that shape the way

we think about our nationality? And I think this is especially relevant question for us here in

America because we're very proud to be Americans and we take great pride in our country.

But how do we balance that with what the scripture says about our true citizenship?

I think we should love our country, and especially as an American citizen,

I think there's much to value America for.

Despite all of its flaws, both historically and in the present,

it has historically been the greatest champion of freedom.

And still, it has the oldest written constitution in the world.

And while there had been pockets and experiments in democracy on a small scale over the years,

when America was founded, the major nations of the world were all led, ruled by dictatorships or military, not so much military, but kings, oligarchies.

There was no functioning democracy among the major nations of the world.

So America truly was a new experiment in that government comes from the people, not from leaders at the top.

And, of course, the rights are given by God, and they're enshrine in the Bill of Rights.

So that was new.

The idea of the people should govern themselves, and people have inalienable rights from God,

that government doesn't give, government doesn't take away.

That was really unique.

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