Would Jesus Get Down on the 4th?

Three days ago was July 4th and apparently there were a lot of people tweeting about America being 2013 years old. It was actually Jesus who was born 2013 years ago and not America. However, confusing Jesus and America is a VERY common mistake these days. This is a blog about drinking so today I'm talking about the other kind of party politics. My question is this: if Jesus were alive today would he celebrate the 4th of July?

It hurts me to see this...

The case for "yes":

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you already know that Jesus definitely loved a good party. And it wasn't just his own parties that He went to. Indeed, Jesus was an observant Jew and so he took part in all of the festivities and such associated with that life. For example, in Luke 22:7 we learn of Jesus making preparations for the Passover feast. This is good evidence that Jesus participated in the ceremonies and holidays of the culture in which he lived. And he wasn't like one of those Atheists who celebrate Christmas just for the presents (we're on to you). No, he was REALLY serious about Passover. This doesn't exactly apply to the 4th of July though, as it is not a religious holiday but a civil holiday. We don't hear much about civil holidays in the New Testament, which doesn't necessarily prove anything.

In Luke 20:20, however, Jesus famously says "give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". This passage has been interpreted in many different ways. One interpretation is that Jesus allowed faithful disciples to participate in government to the extent that the government demands only the stupid b.s. that it made up, like money. This suggests that Jesus could participate in a holiday like the 4th of July so long as the celebration of the holiday does not involve signing away anything that belongs to God.

The case for "no":

Buuuuuuut... Participating in the 4th of July does kind of involve signing on to some things. For example, calling it "independence day" suggests a few things that are not of God. Very few people became independent on July 4th 1776. For example, all of the enslaved people in America did not benefit much from the declaration of independence. I think Jesus could only celebrate July 4th as the beginning of a nation's becoming free; a process of becoming that is never over. Calling it independence day kind of masks some injustices though, and Jesus is not about that.

Aside from this, there is another concern. Namely, gross idolatry that has resulted from worship of the state and its ideals above God's. America is not God's country, nor is any other country. Not even Vatican City. There is this weird culture of trying to love Jesus and love America in the same breath. Here is an image that I hate:

This is not a pious image. This is idolatrous. Scripture assures us that Jesus died for our soul AND for our freedom. It was a two birds, one stone situation. This image represents the worship of political freedom, putting it on the same level as freedom in Christ. The type of "freedom" that soldiers are ostensibly fighting for is insignificant compared to the freedom that we have in Christ. Much like how the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force. If the 4th of July is about elevating and worshiping America's piss-ant version of freedom then Jesus would end up giving us his own fireworks, aka smiting.

America also does a lot of things wrong. For example, American culture is currently involved in fighting multiple wars, ravaging God's creation, monetizing sex, getting divorced all over the place, imprisoning everybody, producing tons of porn, drone strikes, building an economy based on greed, etc. If July 4th is a celebration of everything that America is and does then Jesus would probably turn all of our wine-coolers back to water.

The Verdict:
I view my duty as someone celebrating 4th of July to be making it something Jesus could get behind. A rabbi once told me that "holy" places are places where God "feels comfortable coming down." A celebration of the good intentions behind America would be comfortable for Jesus. We are a nation UNDER God, not God's best friend or favorite vacation spot. A 4th of July that worships America gets it wrong, but I have certainly seen celebrations like this. All I can say is Jesus showed up at MY barbecue because I grilled the internal organs and all the fat of a goat. God loves that stuff.

This weeks' drink is America.

Bourbon and Bud

Drink a shot of bourbon and drink a Budweiser for America. The beer makes a great palate cleanser before you sip your bourbon. Alternatively, if you have horrible bourbon the beer makes a good chaser. If you drink enough you will turn red, white, and then blue.