“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
(2 Cor 3:18)
Sanctification is something that has been on my mind lately, probably because I’ve been undergoing it on a daily basis this summer while staying home with my kids. Without the distraction of my life at work, it seems that I’ve had to encounter all of my personal shortcomings head on. My children get loud or demanding, I say hello to my quick-temperedness. The house gets out of order, I say hello to my desire for control. The dog barks nonstop throughout dinner, hello anger. You get the point. Of course, the upside of such encounters is that they allow me to grow as a person and a child of God. Because I can recognize my shortcomings, I can also repent, pray, and try to be something better with Christ’s help. I can purge out the old and embrace the new. These annoying moments therefore serve as an essential catalyst of change that draws me one step closer to being “transformed” into the image of Christ.
As I reflect on America this Fourth of July—as I ponder the beauty of Old Glory’s red, white and blue holding firm amidst the winds—I wonder if it too is undergoing a sanctification of sorts. Even though America was founded on a Christian mentality, it is hard to dispute that it has nonetheless had its share of demons throughout history. Slavery, segregation, over-formulated affirmative action plans, unjust immigration treatment and relocations have shown us that racism—and the lack of love that motivates it—exists on both sides of the racial divide. Unjust wars and needless killings have revealed a pride in country that can easily usurp a love for neighbor. The misdeeds of politicians, cover-ups, and scandals have shown that power corrupts even the best intentioned. Tax codes that penalize the successful and social programs that turn the lower class into dependents indicate a government incapable or unwilling to spur true economic freedom and fruitfulness. And the ever-present drug use, entitlements, sexual misdeeds, dismantling of freedoms, disrespect, and disengagement in dialogue between those with differing opinions, reveal a society that has failed to engrain its young people with the country’s Christian roots.
Rather than wringing our hands over the darker side of America, perhaps Christian Americans have the golden opportunity to look at our country’s demons and ask ourselves how we can respond in a way that draws the country closer to Christ, not farther into each American individual or group. What if we could look at our brothers and sisters without consideration for their skin color, and what if our employment selection, voting patterns, and social circles actually reflected this? What if we paid attention to and truthfully discerned our politicians’ actions and decisions (even when we think we trust them) so they knew they were still accountable? What if we provided the necessary aid through our churches and private enterprises to the poor to help free them from dependence on a fallible government? What if we took the time to get our hands dirty to educate our children and our community on what we believe and displayed the kind of courage to admonish them when they strayed?
Old Glory has stood strong in the winds of time, and America is indeed beautiful. But a greater glory and greater beauty is still possible in Christ.
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