On the Fourth of July, when I have raised the American flag over my house, I will step back, put my hand over my heart, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance aloud. No one will see me do this. No one will join me. It will be a personal expression of love for my country as well as a fervent prayer that “the Republic” will indeed become “one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” My patriotism is part family history, part intellectual conviction. As far as I can tell, my father’s and mother’s ancestors all came … Continue reading The American Creed and the Christian Gospel