It's now my brain dead part of the day and at this exact moment I was asked to give the school paper a quote in response to the question, "How do you feel about the State of California ruling that 'One Nation Under God" is unconstitutional?"
So I've been thinking about what to say to this eager young cub reporter. It's so hard to give so much nuance to something that will probably just be a sentence blurb.
How do you communicate that I am a Christian, but as a citizen I know that other citizens, citizens who are just as much a part of that country don't claim that label? And how do I take it a step further to communicate that claiming that label just isn't enough? But that it's not about "getting saved"? That it's more about how I choose to live my life after the pledge? So many times our culture (and especially the simplified, kid version of our culture that I live in) just wants a talley mark. "If you are on our team, God's team, check yes. Check no for the Devil.". I have no box to check and I want my students to see that. I want to live in America as a Christian but I don't so much want to be an American Christian. Now, say that in two sentences or less.
I am sure I shall be sharper when I actually give this child my answer but since we had all that fun with my open letter, what would you say if given the chance to answer the question for a High School paper?
And wanted to keep your job there?
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2 comments:
Ummm . . . Praise Jesus?
No, probably not that.
Seriously, I am delighted to hear this, and am off to Google it, as I appear to be WAAAYYY behind in my actual news consumption (I've been reading about Fashion Week, you know . . . no, not really).
My husband has been trying to teach our kids to say the pledge WITHOUT adding 'under God', but as they both refuse to learn to say the pledge, it hasn't had much effect. But we're trying!
Remind me... which part did we object to again? Are you sure it wasn't the "one nation" part?
Of course, even if we split, we'd still be stuck with a Republican president with an approval rating in the 30s.
*sigh*
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