The Pledge of Allegiance

I don't recall saying The Pledge of Allegiance since my school days. I did it automatically, didn't think about it much as a child, and we didn't really talk about it at home. Although, the combination of my home church not having a flag in the church building, and the emphasis on serving others around the globe, did have a subtle impact on me growing up.

About the time we stopped saying it in school is the time I started to think about what it might mean to recite this pledge.

Fast forward to 1999: I'm the director of a faith-based, non-profit that helped lower income persons start or reinforce their own small business. As part of the networking and building of relationships in the community, I was invited to join the Rotary Club in that city. It was a huge one. 500 members. One of the top ten in the world with the number of members.

My first meeting, a luncheon on Mondays, I found myself faced with a decision: should I recite the Pledge of Allegiance, a practice I wasn't aware of? I didn't want to offend the friend that sponsored me to become a member, or those who were doing great things in the community, or those who had a different understanding of the Pledge. But, I didn't believe I could recite it in good conscience.

Why? It is tied to my understanding of my faith in and commitment to Jesus. It goes along two lines...

First, I see myself, and the church I'm part of, as "resident aliens" with respect to my posture in any culture or nation state. (The term that Stanely Hauerwas and Will Willimon that caught on for many.) I'm respectful and seek to be a responsible citizen of the country where I reside; but, I'm not anchored in, nor is my allegiance with that country.

My allegiance is to the transnational Kingdom of God, and to the King of this Kingdom. That's where my loyalty and allegiance resides. It embraces followers of Jesus spanning every tribe, language, race, and nation.

Second, I see everyone as a bearer of the image of God as Creator. Everyone. Not just those who choose to follow Jesus and believe in God. When my allegiance is to my nation (whichever nation that would be), that can begin to impact how I view others.

What did I do that day in Rotary? Maybe I was a bit chicken. I ended up putting my hand on my heart, as the rest of the 250 in that room did that day, but I didn't say the Pledge. I prayed. I prayed my allegiance, in a whisper, to Jesus. I prayed for others around the world in those seconds. (Which is what I did each week at Rotary.)

Maybe the Pledge isn't the main issue. What I do hope is that our churches will pledge allegiance to Jesus, envision a church where "in Christ there is no East or West," and that we will live and love in ways that view each person as a bearer of the image of God.