It's OK to be Patriotic but...

As we get closer to July 4th, people often ask: Is it OK to be patriotic? Can I be a Christian and a Patriot? Can I celebrate national holidays like the fourth of July? Answering questions like these require a clear definition of patriotism. If by patriotism you mean pride of place and love of people in that place, then yes, it's OK to be a patriotic. But...it is easy for patriotism to turn into nationalism whereby we elevate our love for country over our love for Jesus, which creates all sorts of problems in our faith life. Jesus calls us to a life of discipleship where we put him first and everything else becomes a distant second.