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As the flame caught a red edge of the cloth, I thought about my heroic uncle and his military service. I remembered, too, my childhood patriotism and my hometown parades. I thought of the “big truck” patriotism of today, and the religious symbolism woven within it. Standing by the fire, I thought about parachutes and candy, and about Bono, AIDS, and Africa. I remembered, too, the refugee I met in France, whose simple words kindled a spark within me; because of it, I committed my career to flames.

I burned my American flag on a wet day in December of 2023. It was not an act of rebellion, violence, or protest, but rather of honor and respect. While cleaning the garage, I had opened the sagging door of a rickety cupboard, and there was that old flag, which had been flown by the previous owner of our house. The flag’s colors were faded; the fabric in my hands was brittle.

It would be disrespectful to fly this flag in such condition, even if I wanted to. Consigning the flag, though, to more years of neglect and decay seemed a violation of it. I knew that you cannot dispose of an American flag in a garbage can. An image of a landfill tractor chewing up this flag appeared in my mind, and my head shook that image away in revulsion. From lessons long ago, I had a vague recollection that it was my duty to burn the flag. Nervous about that, I decided to verify.

The first images online were of people in a crowd around a large mass of flames. It was a flag-burning ceremony at a VFW. Yes, the site said, burning was the way to go. Several websites described at-home versions of this practice. Still, as I carried the flag to the grass alley behind our house, it felt wrong.

If I had to do it, this was an appropriate morning. Mist was gently descending, and it was foggy, which matched the condition of my patriotism. The weather was helpful also because, in the damp grey, the smoke wouldn’t be so noticeable. Our city has rules about what it calls “recreational fires.” Although this little flame would be too small to be illegal, I felt guilty, like I needed to hide.

Having previously placed a piece of ceramic tile on the ground, I stooped down and laid the flag upon it. Down on one knee, I scratched the match, and touched it to the fabric. I stood, then, in respect and thoughtfulness.

I thought of my uncle, and his top-secret mission in World War II. Three weeks before my backyard ceremony, I had visited him. He told me that only months prior, he had received a letter from the government granting him permission to, at last, share his story. He had never, across 70 years, revealed even a shred of it to his wife, his kids, or his friends. Sitting with him in his apartment, I became one of those he told.

There is not time or space to tell his story here. Sitting with my uncle in his apartment, though, I remembered sitting with him fifty-five years ago in a boat, fishing with him and my dad. He was a cool, funny guy, and my childhood hero. Now I know the real content of his heroism. He carries the aroma of dignity and self-sacrifice. I feel that same dignity hanging upon the other veterans in my family, and upon the ones I meet these days as a hospice chaplain.

I thought of how, when I was a kid, the people of my hometown gathered on Memorial Day for the parade, flags everywhere rippling in the breeze. With my classmates, I pedaled my bike in those parades; we had woven red, white, and blue crepe paper into the spokes.  After the parade, everyone moved as a silent human river to the cemetery. Each year, we stood in the hot sun for the reading of every single name of our townspeople who had given their lives in service to our country. I remember the reverence I felt then, and still feel now.

I thought of how, in every church I pastored, there was a plaque engraved with the names of the members of that church who had died in military service. The plaque had holes on each side, into which small flags attached to wooden dowels had been placed. I remembered, too, those risky discussions I initiated: Is it right, by Reformed theology, to have the American flag standing in the sanctuary, on the platform, next to the pulpit, the baptismal font, and the communion table?

I thought of parishioners who over the years had told me their war stories, just as my uncle had recently told me his. Some told of the horrors they had seen; others of the horrible things they had done. Now, standing by this flame, I remembered them, and grieved them, again. 

Standing by the burning flag, I felt honor, humility, and thankfulness in my heart. As the flames grew, though, so did the awareness of the fear, sadness, and sense of doom I feel over this nation, and over the Christian faith that I used to believe was the healthy beating heart within it.

At a local event recently, I bumped into a group of Christian Reformed pastors as one of them was telling the others of his dilemma. He wants to display his American flag from his front porch to “reclaim patriotism.” The pastor’s wife, though, is asking him not to, worried of what the neighbors will think. The consensus of the pastors’ group was that the meaning of the flag has been irretrievably ruined. Tainted.

Tainted by rioters brandishing American flags and using them as weapons as they attacked police officers on January 6, 2021. Some of the insurrectionists carried a poster of Jesus in a MAGA hat. Many American church goers sat in prim, complicit approval, and many of their pastors cannot openly confront this “taking of the Lord’s name in vain” without losing their jobs.

Tainted by misuse and disrespect. Just as there are rules for burning a flag, there are rules for the presentation and handling of the flag. You are not supposed to deface it or distort it or even let it touch the ground. Now, the American flag is used as an advertising rag. Now you find American flags with politicians’ names, or the names of sports teams or beer companies stitched or painted across the white and red bars. (See also “Talking with Flags,” by David Hoekema.)

American flags have been tainted by grim-faced zealots, stomping hard on the gas pedals of their belching vehicles. As this election year unfolds, I am bracing myself for their onslaught: Three-by-five-foot American flags, mated with equally sized Trump flags, bolted to baseball-bat thick poles from the back ends of large pick-up trucks. Sometimes the trucks display American flags cut into the shape of skulls. Other times, the head of a furious looking eagle with big black eyebrows is superimposed on the flag. Or, an angry eagle with guns in its talons. Or, just a flag and a gun. And/or an expletive. Then a message about either God or Trump, or both.

My uncle is a real-deal-patriot. These pickup truck guys have seen too many Mel Gibson movies. They are what Garrison Keillor described as “grown men playing soldier, making a great hullabaloo without exposing themselves to danger.”

In my backyard, standing by my little altar, I feel the internal dissonance. I am still the naïve kid on the bike. I feel the patriotic allegiance to my uncle’s America. In my grateful bones, I know that freedom is not free. Violent, gruesome things have been done. Blood has been shed, and loved ones stood weeping at flag-draped coffins to carve out the safe, comfortable, and privileged life I live.

When flags hang at half-staff, my heart does, too. When American soldiers are killed in the line of duty, I grieve and feel anger. When conflict erupts, instinctively my heart is with the U.S.

Yet my patriotism at this moment in our history is frayed. God calls our nation, just as any other, to uphold justice and righteousness, to seek peace and pursue it. I now know what the kid with the crepe paper in his spokes didn’t – about our nation’s slaughter of indigenous peoples. About our un-holy wars. About the embers of racism now fanned to full flame again. About the hair-trigger religious patriotism of today.

The tailgate of this little pickup truck carries religious patriotism’s message:

Notice that cross: It is not the old, rugged one. This one proclaims, “In this sign conquer.” The cross on the tailgate, and the religion woven like crepe paper through the letters of that name – that is a cross I do not believe in.

Watching the flag’s trail of smoke, I tried, within myself, to identify the America I do believe in, and remembered the “Candy Bomber,” Gail Halvorsen.  It might have been at one of those childhood Memorial Day ceremonies that I first heard of him. During the Berlin airlift, American pilots with our flags painted on their planes flew over the city, dropping food and medical supplies. Halvorsen began dropping pieces of candy, suspended from handkerchief parachutes he had made. As he passed over the city, he would rock the wings of his plane so that, out of all the American aircraft dispensing benevolence, the children would know which one had the sweet stuff. That’s what stuck with me: America, at its best.

This is the America to which Bono appealed in the early 2000’s, when he was asking us to help save the lives of people dying from AIDS in Africa. The countries there did not have the lifesaving medications wealthier countries could afford. This, Bono said, “seemed to physicalize inequality.”

Initially, few in Washington D.C. warmed to the idealism and generosity to which Bono was calling us, but he persevered. Finally, he met with George W. Bush and placed three of the lifesaving pills in the President’s hand. Bono said, “Mr. President, paint these pills red, white, and blue if you have to, but in Africa these pills will be the best advert ever for the United States of America.” Finally, the United States gave $100 billion to save lives.

This is the America I hope for: Honor the flag by doing good for the world. That’s the “advert.” I believe in the America of the Statue of Liberty: A beacon of hope. Are we that? For one young refugee, no.

In 2017, I volunteered with the International Association for Refugees in Lille, France. There, I met teenaged men and women who had fled Africa. One day, one of the refugees asked me, “What do you think of President Trump?” His head was hanging down; he seemed afraid to ask. I asked him what he thought. After a long silence, body shrinking as he spoke, he said, “He puffs out his chest, and tells me there is no hope for me.”

That boy’s words struck a spark in my heart, which eventually grew into a conflagration I could not contain. I could no longer keep silent about Religious Trumpism. I openly rejected any movement claiming to be Christian which so willingly slams a door in the faces of people like this young man by fervently supporting this brutal, evil man as our President, and by passionately endorsing Trump’s message to the world. Under Trump’s influence, and with much of the American Church’s fanatical support, our nation has forfeited its dignity and glory.

At his rallies and on his website, Donald Trump calls his enemies “vermin,” and says that migrants are “poisoning our blood.” When a candidate for President uses his mouth as a bellows for racism, and his poll numbers go up, America is no longer a beacon to the world. When church people, fanned into religious delusion by pastors and national religious charlatans, view Trump as their standard bearer, they become the equivalent of the German church during the rise of Hitler.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “a national church which accepts Nazi policies may be popular, but it will never be Christian. The choice before us is clear: Germanism or Christianity.”

What it means to be an American and a Christ follower is the defining question for the American church today. There, in the wet grass and the fog, with the ashes already cooling, I struggled to discern a way to be both.

My patriotism still rises from my heart of gratitude, from my memories, from my prayers, and from my thinning thread of hope in the basic goodness of my country.

In uncertainty and sadness, though, I walked back to the garage and closed the sagging door of that old rickety cupboard.

Keith Mannes

Keith Mannes is the author of UnMediated: Simple Faith. Pure Love. Spiritual Growth without the Interference of Christianity, due out in early September, 2024 (please go to https://keithamannes.com or email manneskeith@gmail.com for more information). Keith is an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ, expressing that ordination as a hospice chaplain.

25 Comments

  • Doug says:

    As always, a thoughtful and compelling reflection. Thanks, Keith.

  • Harold Gazan says:

    A very sobering, but honest reflection. Will our deomcracy survive the outcome of our November election?

  • Rowland Van Es, Jr says:

    We’ve gone from “the greatest generation” of your uncle to the weak MAGA generation of today. The choice is clear: Americanism or Christianity. In Mat 25:32 the nations are judged by how they care for the very least.

  • Dirk Jan Kramer says:

    I remember standing with my immigrant parents on Main Street in a town in West Michigan on Memorial Day in the early 1960s. A color guard leading the local high school band came marching down the street. The flag bearers were flanked by two fresh-faced band members carrying non-firing, white ceremonial wooden rifles. Upon seeing the spectacle, my mother, a survivor of the occupation in World War II Holland, uttered a low level, slightly blasphemous remark—in Dutch. It was followed by her muttering in plain English, “The Germans were good at that, too.” My understanding of nationalism and its potential perils began to develop there on the sidewalk that day.

  • Ken Kuipers says:

    A very sensitive and thoughtful article from one who continues to struggle with loyalties to Christ’s kingdom and loyalty to one’s state.. It is not a new struggle. When I was a member of 14th St CRC in Holland, MI., I came across the history of when Rev. Herman Hoeksema was the pastor there before he went to Eastern Ave CRC. It was a time of great patriotism during WWI and Rev Hoeksema took a stand. He removed the US flag from the sanctuary and made the statement that we only can serve one master and that did not include the US flag in the church sanctuary. Emotions ran so high over the issue in town that he felt forced to carry a pistol for his own safety. The tension Keith refers to here is an old one and needs to be ever revisited.
    Great article.

  • Anita says:

    Thank you for this post, Keith. The comparison between the church in Germany prior to World War II and the church in the U.S. today is truly a sobering one.

  • Scott VanderStoep says:

    Thank you. Your essay reminded me of the closing words of the introductory segment of Episode 1 of Ken Burns’ “The Vietnam War.” I make students watch all 10 episodes before we go on our Vietnam May Term. As bad as that period was, it seems worse now, perhaps because time has healed the wounds of 55 years ago. May time and God heal our wounds again.

    “Vietnam seemed to call everything into question, the value of honor and gallantry, the qualities of cruelty and mercy, the candor of the American government, and what it means to be a patriot.”

  • Mark Stephenson says:

    Thanks Keith for another thoughtful blog. It brought to mind a comment that a friend made to me. “No matter who wins the presidential election this November, Donald Trump will provoke a constitutional crisis.” If he loses, almost certainly, he will call his followers to arms, and in much more bold terms than he did when he provoked the violence of Jan 6. If he wins, he has already said that he’ll appoint lackeys who will do whatever he says, with complete disregard for the constitution. Pressing against despair, I trust with hope that God is always working his purposes out. And I hope and pray that many Christians will remain true to the One who says we are salt and light.

  • Mark says:

    Exceptionally well said. No doubt you’ve expressed what a great many others also feel. Thank you.

  • Albert Veldstra says:

    Thank you, Keith. Thank you!

  • Henry Baron says:

    Thank you, Keith, for this beautifully composed and thought-and-faith provoking blog! Having lived my early years in a Nazi-occupied land, I shudder now when I see the looming deadly storm clouds of a possible fearful future gathering on the horizon. But I eagerly grasp on to hope when I hear voices like yours and pray that their numbers will swell into a resounding chorus as a blessing in this disturbing time of aggressive dissonance.

    • Jan Heerspink says:

      Henry, having heard you tell your story of living under Nazi-occupation, your “shudder” is even more real. I pray that we avoid those storm clouds. I pray that for my children and grandchildren, and also that this country may endure and will wake up from this false sense of patriotism that is currently being spread.

  • Vern Swieringa says:

    Another captivating, provocative article from Keith. Thank you, your writing and its message is a real blessings to many!

  • Steven Tryon says:

    Beautiful words. Thank you.

    We have for several years flown three flags from our front porch. We fly a United States flag because I flew UH-1H helicopters for the US Army back in the day. I love my country. I fly its flag proudly.

    We fly the flag of Puerto Rico in love and support of our Puerto Rican neighbors and friends. Had we had black neighbors at the time it probably would have been a Black Lives Matter banner. But one runs out of room. And the Puerto Rican flag is pretty.

    In the middle, we fly the Pride rainbow flag. We are happily heterosexual folks but we have a lot of gay,
    lesbian, trans or whatever friends, neighbors, and relatives. We fly the Pride flag in love and support of
    them. A couple years ago our son Nick sent me a text note, “Happy Fathers’ Day. I’m trans.” So now
    we fly the flag in love and support of our daughter Noelle.

  • Christopher Poest says:

    Thank you, Keith.

  • Dale L. Strobel says:

    Thank you, Keith. This article really spoke to my aching heart.

  • Pete Byma says:

    Sadness and uncertainty in the broken ideals and statues of faith and country, resonate with me too. Thanks Keith.

  • Mary VanderVennen says:

    Thank you for articulating so beautifully the sadness and grief I feel about the condition of the United States. My grief is compounded because so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ are so caught up in promoting a vision of a country which seems so far removed from what characterizes the Kingdom of God.

  • Mark S. Hiskes says:

    Keith,
    Powerful and, as always, you weave together your stories in such a meaningful way. Thank you!

  • Gordon Baas says:

    In 2020, I had a Biden sticker on my old vehicle that I sometimes drove to church. I was in church leadership at that time and wanted to assure others that they did not need to be a trump worshipper to attend. Since January 6, I upgraded to a much nicer vehicle. I do not dare this time to place a non Trump or Biden sticker. I am afraid of vandalism. Or even road rage. The fanaticism is scary. Its idolatry of a person or worshipping a live graven image. Keith, once again, you have described a sad dilemma of ” In Trump We Trust” Christian Nationalism, which is not Christ following. I fear that our new “Christian” speaker is also in that camp and a supporter of Trump’s lies. I can only hope that most American people, and especially true disciples, are getting it and deciding that Trump is surely not fit for any office. We need a revival.

  • Gordon Baas says:

    Do what is deemed best.

  • Tom Ludwigson says:

    Please Sir, leave politics out of religion. We need to keep preaching the gospel not political ramblings. The article was very well written until you showed your true colors. You can say the same thing has happened to the democratic side as well. Now I personally don’t like some of the MAGA ideas as well but let’s try to unite each other rather than chose sides.
    Thank you,
    God bless you,
    Tom

    • Joy Nevin says:

      Thank you, Tom…As an 86 year old widow and mother of four, grandmother of nine and great grammy of 2, I not only worry about our younger generations’ futures, but I echo your request to “leave politics out of religion.” As a child born soon after the Nazis invaded Poland, I remember WWII, a tragic but patriotic era. When Truman triumphed over Dewey, my father, a Dewey supporter, told me that Americans respect “the will of the people.” He also taught me that our Constitution specifies Separation of Church and State. As poignant as Keith’s story is, I believe he oversteps a boundary shared by many of us Christians. Forever, I will believe the pulpit is not intended to espouse political beliefs. Instead, let us pray that selfless, competent, honorable and younger candidates (GOP and Dem)rise up before November to restore the values and integrity of our country.

  • Greg Christian says:

    I identify as a “heavenite” on duty in 21st-century America. Would that more Christians would remember that this world–and the US specifically–is not our home.