A while back I almost embarked on a potentially controversial publicity campaign. It was going to involve creating and giving away t-shirts, bumper stickers, and yard signs saying, “God Bless Iraq”. Maybe even creating a website with chatrooms and daily blog posts, too. But I wasn’t able to inspire anyone to join me. And due to a lack of time, my bad habit of not following through with ideas, and a recognition of some impure motives in myself, the campaign died before it was even born. Perhaps somebody somewhere is carrying the torch…
What inspired this contentious and insensitive idea? I think I was just tired of seeing so many sleek new SUVs strutting around with “God Bless America” plastered all over them. Yes, we have sons and daughters dying in Iraq, and that is tragic. But how much more tragic is it that since the war began, tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians have been tortured, shot, or blown up? How many thousands more live in constant fear of becoming another war statistic? All the while, we go about our daily lives free from the threats of bombings, kidnappings, enemy fire and friendly fire, enjoying our families, vacations, cars, shopping malls, frappuccinos, X-Boxes, etc. And all we can pray is, “God bless America”!?!
How self-centered, nationalistic, thoughtless or ignorant are we? God has already blessed America! Isn’t it time we start sharing that blessing with others? Which doesn’t mean forcing democracy down their throats, by the way. It means praying for our enemies. Then sharing the gospel with them. Then looking after their material needs. It is discouraging and even sickening that in the Bible Belt, the heart of “born again” America, the majority of the bumper stickers only call for more blessing and more protection for our great country. To my knowledge, there are no prayer vigils for the nation of Iraq. And there are probably very few mission agencies sending people there.
Let us remember Jesus’ words that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This means that true joy and true contentment are not found in accumulating more wealth and security, but rather in practicing generosity, kindness and love. So, may God indeed bless America by giving her the humility and compassion necessary to share her wealth and serve others. And may the resulting joy she experiences overflow into prayers of, “God bless Iraq”!
George – I appreciate your willingness not to shy away from controversial ideas. As I was reading your blog, I had to ask myself, what is the intent when people place those stickers on their cars? I am sure that many do pray for our nation. However, for some, I wonder if it is less a petition and more a statement of fact. Instead of reading “God Bless America”, the proper expression of some people’s thoughts might be better written “God has Blessed America (and I’m proud of that)” or maybe “God has made our nation the Best”. I do wish that the prayers of the people of our nation would be not only inward, but outward as well…and I must confess that I am guilty of that pride also. Thanks for your thoughts!
Wow, that’s pretty strange for a metionary person to have thoughts as this, well let me tell you somthing, I came to the U.S couple years ago and only thing i seen is “God Bless Amarica” ??? does these people not thinking about anybody else except themselves? belive it or not I was thinking about put a sticker on my car say “God Bless Iraq” or God Bless the world” god bless everybody” I have been live is so many diffrent country, never seen as amaricans loves their nation and country, don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong about it but there is limites to everything, being too protective could lead to be selfish later!! well like you saids there are hundreds of iraqis being killed everyday, that beside the one who no one talk about, I mean poor people no one care about and I wonder who will defend them? or who will say god bless you!! I well I belive by puting God bless Amarica we are speaking in God’s speech? we don’t know how god want to bless I wonder how long we will keep acting this way by thinking only about ourselves, thank for your posting, If there are many people thinking as you do, our world will be more peaceful that it is!