You're a Grand Old Flag
by Heather Koerner on 07/03/2008 at 1:00 PM
I think the windiest spot on earth is in my daughter's school parking lot. Evidently, the winds start up in Canada, come south and do not stop until they hit this slightly elevated piece of property in northeastern Oklahoma.
So it wasn't a surprise for me to notice, during a particularly windy week this past Spring (we're talking continual 40 mph all day), that the American flag flying in the school parking lot was tattering. It made me cringe a little, but I gave a little sigh of relief the next morning when I saw a brand new flag flying. The following morning, the American flag was toast again (I'm not exaggerating about the winds -- they were brutal). And then, that afternoon, a new flag was in its place.
Call me obsessive-compulsive. Maybe nobody else noticed that the flag was torn and replaced, and torn and replaced again. But I did. And I know why -- I was taught to. Back in the good old, sixth-grade, "junior police" days, my duties were to get the little kids across the crosswalk, guard the bikes and take care of the school flag. I can still remember my "flag duty" days, hoping against hope that it would rain and I would get to race outside, bring the flag down and fold it in the proper way we were taught. Any excuse to get out of class, you know?
The flag's care was emphasized to us so much that, even today, I still want to stop and pull a flag down if I see it flying in the rain (although, I have since learned that an all-weather flag can continue to fly in the rain).
An article in this morning's paper reminded me of a few other points of flag etiquette:
- Fly the flag only during the day, unless it is illuminated.
- The flag should be raised briskly and lowered slowly and ceremoniously (um, yeah, didn't always follow this as a sixth-grader getting soaked in the rain).
- The flag should never be stepped on, have anything placed on it or be draped over any type of vehicle.
- The flag is not for sword fighting (this isn't actually in the US Flag Code, but I am teaching it to my four-year-old son).
So, Happy Fourth of July, all. Fly those flags proudly!
And, speaking of etiquette and honoring things, did anybody else's parents teach them never to place anything on top of the Bible? Just wondering.
1. Christina (in green) said the following at 1:10 PM on Jul 3
about the bible thing, I was...
I don't know why I stopped...I guess it had become more superstition than reverence for me.
Maybe I should re-evaluate the reasons for proper bible care =p
2. Jacob said the following at 2:11 PM on Jul 3
I'm all for respecting the flag, but it is important to keep it in perspective: it is a symbol of the rights and freedoms we are privileged to possess. Yet, in my own experience, there are some out there who would demand respect of the flag at the expense of those freedoms. When I once voiced this thought in my local paper, I was called a "flag-burner" and deemed "unpatriotic."
3. Gina said the following at 2:28 PM on Jul 3
Wow, that's some wind. I'm glad someone was looking out for the flag. As a military brat, I was taught to be very careful and respectful of the flag always. I want to pull it down in the rain too! :-)
4. Adam T. said the following at 2:34 PM on Jul 3
Fly those flags proudly!
Unless, of course, you don't live in America, in which case: just squelch those feelings of exclusion and betrayal as you watch fellow Christians pledge their allegiance to a worldly government.
Try not to wonder whether, in their heart of hearts, your (supposed) brethren in Christ value their nation-state more than they value you, a fellow member of the Body of Christ.
/sarcasm
(Yes, I know I'm inviting attack here. But I feel strongly about it: ask yourself where your first loyalty really does lie. I can tell you that the louder you claim to be a 'proud American', the less able I feel, as a fellow member of the Body of Christ, to trust you. The less able I feel to work with you in whatever work the Church is supposed to be accomplishing. Really ask yourself whether that matters; whether you care about that.)
5. KJ said the following at 2:35 PM on Jul 3
I wasn't taught to never put anything on top of a Bible, but I was taught it was God's Word and therefore more important than other books (and that's why I was in really, really big trouble when I scribbled in my mom's Bible with crayon as a toddler...) My boyfriend's mom taught him to never make a mark in his Bible and to this day he won't underline or highlight anything in his.
6. Katie Adams said the following at 2:36 PM on Jul 3
I don't know about never putting something on top of the Bible, but we weren't allowed to put it directly on the floor.
I loved this post! I love respect and honor of the flag and it also bothers me to see it dragging on the ground or otherwise not treated with respect.
Happy 4th!
7. A.M.C. said the following at 2:36 PM on Jul 3
Re: #1 Christina (in green)
Regarding Bible care: I must confess that I would occasionally state as a joke that one should take great care to ensure that the pages of the Bible are not damaged because of the warnings in Revelation 22:18-19. (Of course, it's a gross misinterpretation and is never meant to be taken seriously.)
Re: #2 Jacob
As much as I respect the flag, I have to agree with your concerns regarding protecting the flag at the cost of compromising our other rights. In fact, if I were you, I would just bite the bullet and counter those critics' charge with "as a Christian, my loyalty to God ALWAYS trumps my loyalty to any country, earthly authority, or symbol-- which includes the flag of the United States." If necessary, I would also include "And I'm not a Jehovah's witness, in case you're wondering."
8. Jordan Peacock said the following at 2:49 PM on Jul 3
I'm right with Adam T.
I love my wife (American) and many American friends, but that's because they are not, primarily, American: they are primarily my wife and friends.
In the list of things I care about, nationalism is far, far, far down the list. Being a non-national in the states for July 4th is awkward at best.
Watching Christians confuse their priorities to the degree that nationalism trumps every up to (and often including) their faith is not pretty either.
Your article doesn't go quite that far, but it definitely gets close enough to the line to make me cringe.
9. Julia H said the following at 3:06 PM on Jul 3
I was told to always keep a Bible between me and my boyfriend when sitting in church. Does that count?
10. A. said the following at 3:27 PM on Jul 3
And don't forget the quote "the flag's own right" - confused about any aspect of Flag ettiquette that hasn't been mentiones so far - its probably covered by that phrase...
Questioning where the American Flag goes in the front of the church... The flag's own right, when you consider that the flag is "looking" at the congregation...
Flying the flag from a porch lengthwise - you can't just rotate it 90 degrees - you have to rotate it 90 degrees and flip it - so the stars are on "the flag's own right"...
(This was the one that most people and companies got wrong after 9/11 - I used to drive the 2 hours home from college for the weekend and pass I don't know how many examples of people displaying the flag in the equivalent of upside down, because they just rotated it 90 degrees instead)
Not to mention the idea that if a flag is too big to be put at half staff, that its too big for your flagpole (I'm talking to you car dealership owners!)
But - for all that the flag code matters to me (I'm a military brat, and my grandfather who was in WWII was very big on the flag code as well), there are obviously a lot of things that matter more - it is just one of my pet peeves - because its simple enough to find out the proper way online, and people just don't do it...
11. Claire said the following at 3:48 PM on Jul 3
About the "no placing anything on top of the Bible" rule, no haven't heard of that one. However, where I grew up, it was disrespectful to put things of honor directly on the floor. I still, to this day, cannot bring myself to put my Bible on the floor and I cringe inside when I see pastors, speakers, fellow Sunday school folks toss their Bibles under the pulpit/tables/chairs, etc. Nothing to do with superstition, really, just something I don't like to do.
12. Bethany said the following at 5:12 PM on Jul 3
Does that mean I shouldn't use my Bible as a coaster for my beer? :)
Seriously, though, respect and reverence for certain things are important, and it's good to be mindful of it. But don't take it too far. They are, after all, only objects.
13. Lise said the following at 5:18 PM on Jul 3
I once asked my (lifelong Christian) parents whether it's bad to put anything on top of a Bible, and they shot that idea down right away. The paper and leather and ink itself isn't holy, they told me: it's the words and ideas inside the book that are special. They always encouraged me to make notes and underline favorite verses in my Bible, as a way to make my fledgling Bible study feel like my own - and they never endorsed the superstition that gave honor to paper and leather.
However, they did enforce reverence of the words inside the Bible, and took childish behaviors like using God's name in vain or saying "Hallelujah!" as a joke very seriously. I'm glad they had the right emphasis.
A little less emphasis on physical things is needed, perhaps, and a little more emphasis on ideas? How many people treat the flag well while misunderstanding the principles American was founded upon? How many treat their Bibles physically well while not cracking it open and reverencing the words as they should?
14. Dave said the following at 5:33 PM on Jul 3
Re #10:
Questioning where the American Flag goes in the front of the church... The flag's own right, when you consider that the flag is "looking" at the congregation...
Since when does a flag have a right to go anywhere in a church?
Historically it wasn't put there.
Consider the case of a US pastor who received threats and was forced to take a leave of absence over his plan to remove the flag from the sanctuary. I tend to agree with the views of another blogger on this:
Modern worship in American Churches is often a mix of Christianity, Republican politics, and Nationalism.
I think that a lot of Americans are confused about Christianity is. Consider the recent Pew Forum survey whose results were discussed by one of Boundless's favorite authors.
15. Jorden said the following at 5:47 PM on Jul 3
My parents didn't teach me to not put anything on a Bible, but I try to not if possible. If I have a stack of books with a Bible in it I typically re-arrange it so the Bible is on top. I don't always do it though.
I do put my Bible on the floor a lot though.
I also agree with Jacob(2). I honor the flag, but I keep it in perspective.
16. khalil said the following at 5:47 PM on Jul 3
Before working with Muslims and in the Middle East it wouldn't have bothered me to put my Bible on the floor or to mark in it. Now, after being immersed in this culture and people group I have a Bible for personal study that I will write it, but any Bible that I have that will likely face Muslim eyes is never marked it. I also now have issues if people place the Bible on the floor, set things on it, or treat it poorly. True, it is only a physical book and nothing bad will happen if we write in it or set it on the floor, but I don't see anything wrong in respecting the word of God and treating it with due respect. There is nothing superstitious about it, just adjusting my life to working with a particular people group. I also abstain from pork and alcohol when around Muslims too.
As far as the flag, it is a symbol of the USA, a country, and is just an object. It bothers me when I see those people who are so patriotic that they place nationalism above all else. I do not pledge allegiance to the flag, I serve Jesus. I serve my country by following the law, volunteering, and serving Christ as a missionary. In my opinion there are no better ambassadors that Christian missionaries serving overseas.
17. Dave said the following at 5:52 PM on Jul 3
Interestingly patriotism in the church is the topic today on Al Mohler's show. Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet though.
18. John D. said the following at 7:53 PM on Jul 3
I have had at least two Bibles break open at the spine and lose pages from being read and from being carried to this Bible study or that church service.
They say that people whose Bibles are falling apart won't fall apart themselves.
19. Chris said the following at 8:36 PM on Jul 3
I wish a lot these pseudo-patriots who put flags on their cars after 9/11 would remove them. I can't think of a more disrespectful way to treat the flag than to a) turn it into a piece of car decoration and b) then let it slowly fall apart.
20. Kathy said the following at 11:08 PM on Jul 3
I think we can still honor our flag without placing it above our honor to God. I've never been taught not to put anything on top of my Bible, but it does bug me when people put their Bibles on the floor.
21. Sharon said the following at 12:00 AM on Jul 4
I was taught never to put anything on top of my Bible or place it on the floor. When I was Orthodox, we had to make the sign of the cross if we accidentally dropped our Bibles. When I moved away from home for college, I started going to a new church and one morning during praise and worship, one of the leaders of the P&W team tossed their Bible on the floor and I gasped loud enough for all 30 members to hear.
It just seems disrespectful to throw the Word of God around :[
22. Kathryn said the following at 3:43 AM on Jul 4
I'm Aussie and we don't have a long and involved history to be particularly proud of. I'm thankful that I'm living in a free country with a fantastic government in comparison to most of the rest of the world, but I'm not particularly patriotic. I don't understand you crazy yanks
23. Kelly said the following at 5:05 AM on Jul 4
1) I do not comprehend "flag worship" AT ALL. It's just a piece of material, why does it matter if it gets tattered? The principles behind it still remain!
(Yes, I would use a flag to, say, wipe up water if I had nothing else available.)
2) I have a deep respect for the physical Bible. I remember at my Youth Group, when the leader encouraged us to highlight/underline passages in our Bibles, I was horrified! I COULD NOT 'deface' such a sacred item.
I'm not as paranoid these days, because I recognise now that it's the words that are holy rather than the paper itself, but I still like to keep my Bible in good a condition as I can (while of course, actually using it).
24. Rock said the following at 7:36 AM on Jul 4
You all are right in saying that we should not confuse our priorities- We are first Christians, second sons,daughters, moms, dads, friends, and down the list a bit, Americans.
That being said, I don't think there is anything wrong with being proud to be Americans and proud of our country's accomplishments. There is also nothing wrong with Christians working to make sure that that the country continues to be governed in a way that glorifies God (and I know we haven't been perfect) by participating in the government.
As far as the flag, call me a romantic, but there is something poetic about an illuminated flag flying through a storm. I see it as symbolic that our nation has and will hopefully continue to stand against the storms of the times.
25. xeres said the following at 11:12 AM on Jul 4
Adam T,
I agree with you to an extent. However, Americans aren't the only people who needs to be criticized for their nationalism. Other Christians from other nations need to receive equal amount of this criticism. Everyone is nationalistic at some level. Be more even-handed please
26. Nat said the following at 12:58 PM on Jul 4
I'd like to respond, briefly to Adam T. and to Jordan. I think that you're right when you point out that our allegiance to God should precede that to our respective countries. At the same time, I don't understand why you can't understand and respect that Americans love our country. I spent the first eighteen years or so of my life in Asia. My Malaysian christian friends are proud of being Malaysian. (Malaysia Boleh!) Nepali Christians sing songs about Nepal. Thai churches have pictures of the King and Queen.
There is a problem of nationalism, but there is also a place for a patriotism that respects the values and the symbols of our respective countries- and the sacrifices of those who have gone before us. In a world where tradition is being swept away and where authority is sneered at, we need to remember that there is a place for both.
27. Craig said the following at 12:09 PM on Jul 5
Adam T.--grow up. No one is confusing loyalty to Christ with loyalty to country. "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." In the case of Americans, we owe a great and legitimate debt to our nation. Not just for freedom and prosperity, but because it was in America that the world first recognized that all men have equal rights, because we are all created in the image of God. You owe America a debt too, by the way, whether you recognize it or not--the entire world has depended on America for security and freedom from Nazism, communism and modern fascism, and we are the engine of the international economy that has lifted millions and billions from poverty. Not to mention that the United States is the greatest force for religious freedom--and thus for the promotion of the gospel--in the modern world.
Here's to another 232 years of Independence!
28. John H said the following at 1:21 PM on Jul 5
I'm in the Coast Guard, and there are two things I love about the sea: dawn/dusk over quiet waters, and the amazing power of a storm. Because of this, I love to see the flag standing out straight in a torrential rain - it means a hard, challenging day is coming up. Additionally, when I feel nostalgic, I consider that the flag represents everyone who has ever served, and so a flag in a storm gives me the sense of standing the watch with my predecessors.
29. Elizabeth (from Canada) said the following at 6:09 PM on Jul 5
I. too, become irritated when I see a flag flying while tattered. I don't think that the Canadian flag has so many rules, though. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) As for Bibles, I remember hearing that if you are trying to witness to Sikhs and place your Bible on the floor, they will not have much respect for what you are saying because you don't respect your "holy book." Something to think about... And speaking of flags and national holidays, may I also wish my fellow Canadians a (belated) happy Canada Day?
30. Faith said the following at 6:05 PM on Jul 6
I appreciate it when I see people honoring the American flag. Honor is something that is lacking in our culture and it is nice to see on display.
31. Ronnica said the following at 11:48 AM on Jul 7
I had a small discussion in a seminary class one time about the not-putting-anything-on-the-Bible thing. We came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter, because you could make the argument that all other books have their foundation in the Bible, thus it could be properly be placed on the bottom as well. I do make sure that I never put a Quran on the top shelf, as I don't want to give it the veneration a Muslim would. It actually is right next to my Book of Mormon, which makes sense to me (they're both "holy" books), but might be offensive to a Mormon or Muslim. They're not particularly visible, though.
32. niki said the following at 12:19 PM on Jul 14
I don't remember anyone teaching me specifically not to put things on top of the Bible or make any marks in it (I grew up in Catholic school, which used a lot of other texts more than the Bible was used, in teaching us students, in my experience). However, I must have been taught such. Unless I was born with a weird tendency to hesitate before placing items on top of the Bible, putting it on the floor (even under my chair at church services), or bending any pages. I also will not write or highlight anything in my Bible(s) (I have 2 versions, NIV and ESV). This is just a somewhat strange personal preference. I know plenty of people whose Bibles are all marked up looking and I admire them for it. Go figure.
33. Mr, Ed G said the following at 8:58 PM on Aug 12
What was really funny about all the flags on people's cars after 9/11 was how the cussing and middle fingers never ceased on the road among fellow Americans. So much for getting together as a country. People are plain and simple full of crap.