The convention's overall theme, "Country First," reflects John McCain's remarkable record of leadership and service to America. Each day of proceedings will center on a touchstone theme that has defined John McCain's life and will be central to his vision for leading our nation forward as president.
"Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countryman."
--Sen. John McCain
I hate to sound unpatriotic, but that theme gives me the willies. I'm a follower of Jesus, albeit a struggling one. As a follower of Jesus, I cannot live by the motto "country first." It would be idolatry.When someone asked Jesus what was the most important moral duty, he didn't answer, "Love your country" or "Love your fellow countryman." Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV).
When Jesus was asked "Who is my neighbor?" it prompted him to tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans were hated by Jews, viewed as mixed-breeds (part Jewish, part Gentile). But Jesus made a Samaritan the hero of his parable. The Samaritan was the example of what Jesus' meant by loving your neighbor. (I'll paste in the parable below.)
In that parable, a hated mixed-breed foreigner shows love for the Jew who gets mugged, while that Jew's fellow Jews avoid him as he lays there on the road bleeding.
Jesus held that Samaritan up as an example for us all to follow. In other words, Jesus wanted us to realize that loving our "neighbor" shouldn't be restricted to one's own countrymen. Neighbor love should extend to everyone.
Evidently, for Senator McCain, that love should not be for all our neighbors on earth, only for our fellow citizens of the USA. If he is elected president, I will have to respectfully decline to follow his lead.
By the way...
I do love my country. I appreciate our freedoms, and our Constitution and Bill of Rights. But I can't put country first before God. And I can't love my American citizen neighbor to the exclusion of, or before, my non-American neighbor. I'm a follower of Jesus.
THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN:
Luke chapter 10 (NIV), v.30 ...Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
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