I was at a conference today for my church, Community of Christ, when I noticed something. The conference was at my church campgrounds on Samish Island. What I noticed was that the podium was adorned with an American flag, Canadian flag, and my church’s flag. The Canadian flag was included because the Adult Reunion was starting this evening and that included the participation of some Canadians.
I absolutely cringe when I see a national flag in churches. I don’t believe they belong there. Here is the problem. In America, I tend to see people worship their flags way too much. Though, I am not too fond of the flag to begin with. If they were used just as a symbol of pride then that would be one thing. Though, flags represent a nationalistic symbol of allegiance to a country. An allegiance that often becomes more important than relationships with our fellow man and woman. As a Christian, I find that disheartening and not of God. So, when I see a flag in a church I cringe.
Following 9/11 so many Americans went to the store to buy patriotic symbols. Anything that had red, white, and blue on it sold out immediately. There was a flag shortage. As a Junior in High School, I joined right in. I remember going to several different stores and all I found was a few car flag decals and buttons that had an American flag on them. I bought what I could. It was just a few days later that I saw what was taking shape. People started vandalizing mosques and terrorizing those of Arab descent. They did so because of their Nationalism, not Patriotism. For me, Nationalism became a four-letter word. These people that did this were those that flew a flag in their yard or had flag symbols all over their car. They were often self-proclaimed Christians. They might as well of had a flag in one hand and a bible in the other. Ever since 9/11, I cringe when I see someone that has an overabundance of Nationalistic symbols on their car, in their yards, or in there home.
I share this because it has helped shape how I feel about flags and furthermore how I feel about them in the church. A few years ago I went to a Community of Christ congregation in Richland, WA. While there I went into a classroom and couldn’t believe what I saw. There seemed to be more flag symbols in that classroom than religious symbols. I was shocked. Part of my shock was because my congregation does not have an American flag in it. In fact, when I pointed out the flags today to another young adult at the conference I commented that you could tell that this next camp was going to be mostly senior’s. She then made a comment to the effect of “Who does that anymore?”. I told her that some congregations in the Northwest still do but that we don’t and the congregation she grew up in didn’t either. We were not used to it but that wasn’t necessarily the norm. You find it less here in the Northwest but start heading East and it is hard to find a congregation without a flag.
Once a quarter the young adult group (YAPS) that I co-lead goes to a Community of Christ congregation in the Northwest and puts on the Sunday morning service for them. Well, we went to the Rainier Valley congregation in Seattle, WA, last summer and noticed that they had flags in their sanctuary. So, another young adult said we should move them and sure enough, we did. Quietly and quickly we put them in the back room. Not sure if anyone noticed. We did pull them back out before we left the congregation.
Eventhough my congregation does not have a flag in it, a family did adorn the worship center with patriotic/nationalistic symbols one Memorial Day Weekend a few years go. I wasn’t there that Sunday but came into the building a few days later and noticed it. I couldn’t believe it and this immediately moved it. I mean who are we worshipping here, a country or God?
Now, there is an event when I have been and still am ok with a flag being in a church setting. Every three years the members of my church from around the world gather for a weeklong conference at our International Headquarters in Independence, Missouri. At the opening session of this conference there is always a flag ceremony. Every country that our church is located in has their flag introduced during this ceremony. I am ok with this because, for me, it represents the disbanding of barriers and coming together as children of God. Not as one country pretending to be better than another but as a representation that we are all here on God’s planet and we need to celebrate being in that Global community.
So, the next time you see a flag in a church question yourself on why it is really there and if it belongs in the church building.
