PATRIOTISM & NATIONALISM
*DAILY DEW 5TH/MAY/2021*
*PATRIOTISM & NATIONALISM*
_Key Bible Text:_
*"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge." (Romans 10:1-2 (KJV))
_Bible Insight:_
Some have tried to distinguish between what is desirable and what is wrong by using two separate words, patriotism and nationalism. The value of the former has been shown by Lecky when he wrote in his _History of European Morals_ :
Patriotism leads men to subordinate their wishes to interests of the society in which they live. It extends the horizon of life, teaching men to dwell among the great men of the past, to derive their moral strength from the study of their heroic lives, to look forward continually, through the vistas of a distant future, to the welfare of an organization which will continue when they have passed away.
Nationalism, on the other hand, can be used to denote a very different spirit. Richard Aldington distinguished the two: "Patriotism is a lively sense of collective responsibility. Nationalism is a silly cock crowing in its own dunghill"
It is perhaps worth noticing that this was written in 1938, when there were ugly examples of nationality in Europe fed by racism. But a Christian's patriotism can be like Paul's in the deep concern he had for the spiritual needs of his fellow countrymen when he declared: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved!" (Romans 10:1)
MEDITATION:
*For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.* (Romans 10:3-4 (KJV))
*#David_Joshua_Egbochuo*
*#Wednesday_wisdomforliving*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#Wonders_of_Grace*
*#Hello_May* ❤
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