Trust in God
“Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.” —Psalm 20:7
January 6, 2021, will live on in history of the United States as a day of infamy. The world watched as supporters of the President of the United States marched on the streets of the nation’s capital, storming the United States Capitol which is the meeting place of the U.S. Congress. Windows and doors were broken as security was breached, offices ransacked, and members of the U.S. Congress evacuated for their safety.
While those who engaged in these activities are a small part of the U.S. population, these actions were incited by the words of a President who was intent on usurping the democratic process outlines in the U.S. Constitution. And, the action of breaching the Capitol Building during the counting of the electoral votes that would certify that this President had lost an election was further problematic. These actions were seditious, even as the President continued to declare falsely that the results of the election were false.
The words of the psalmist are framed for me today in context of these events. Chariots and horses were prized possessions during the psalmist’s day, perhaps even signs of wealth and affluence. The psalmist rejects these outward signs of fortune, fame, power, influence, and privilege. Pride is not to be held or found in materialism, instead, the psalmist opts to hold pride in the relationship with God. Pride, is in the name of the Lord our God.
These days, we are not seeing pride in horses or chariots, instead we are seeing pride in the flag, pride in country, pride in white privilege, and pride in political power. Those who found their way to breaching the U.S. Capitol with demands for a different outcome to a fair election were taking pride in their nationalism. Many have noted that white privilege, nationalism, and racism were on display.
Individuals were carrying Trump flags holding their pride and commitment to a man who was inciting them to break the law. Others were waving the Confederate flag, a symbol of racism and injustice, a relic that symbolizes a time of enslavement of Africans and people of African descent. And, there were those who carried with them the flag of the United States, as a sign of their radicalized nationalism that continues to dismiss the rights of Indigenous peoples in this part of the Americas. In the midst of it all, there were those who carried their Bibles to support their claims that their pride and commitment to breaking the law in support of the President was a part of their Christian commitment.
The United States is not unique in the visible resurgence of nationalism and injustice. The pride in country and false narratives that claim white supremacy as God’s design are to be rebuked and overturned. The actions that were seen are not of God. We are told in the Scriptures that the greatest commandment is to love God. Materialism that creates the type of devotion that nurtures white privilege and oppression is problematic and has to be denounced by the church. The religious rhetoric that falsely claims to God being on the side of some country and not others, some people and not others, some religions and not others, must be challenged as we live out the commitment to be followers of Jesus.
Our commitment to love God with all our heart brings us to being advocates for justice because we love. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, too. As we watch what unfolds in the days to come, may we find our way to confession of our misdirected pride and love God more as we seek justice for all in the world. Flags, presidents, pride in country have their place and should come after love for God and love for our neighbors.
—Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson
Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries
and Co-Executive for Global Ministries
United Church of Christ
Associate General Minister for Wider Church Ministries
and Co-Executive for Global Ministries
United Church of Christ