I learned a song back in elementary school. The words I remember:
“This is my country! Land of my birth! This is my country! Grandest on earth! I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold. For this is my country, to have and to hold.”
This song, written by Al Jacobs and Don Raye in 1940, contains a verse and another chorus. The verse:
“What difference if I hail from North or South or from the East or West? My heart is filled with love for all of these. I only know I swell with pride and deep within my breast, I thrill to see Old Glory paint the breeze.”
The second chorus:
“This is my country! Land of my choice! This is my country! Hear my proud voice! I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold. For this is my country, to have and to hold.”
I only remember singing that first chorus back in elementary school. And in doing a little YouTube research, I found versions that only contain that part. Is it because we want to use the short version to save time? Or is it because we want to emphasize the “land of my birth” part more than the “land of my choice” part?
I work really hard to avoid politics in my writing. It is not because I don’t care about the political process. Part of what makes America great is that we can have discussions and differences of opinion and we are allowed to participate in the decision making process.
But politics can get really ugly, and we are entering a season—starting with the Iowa caucuses this week—where we will be absolutely bombarded with the ugliest parts for the next 9 months.
Thinking about that this morning, I remembered this song. And in my pondering, I identified a problem that may be at the heart of the ugliness of the political process. Extending beyond the politicians, it’s played out on social media and in conversations every stinkin’ day.
It’s not the competition between “land of my birth” and “land of my choice,” even though immigration discussions will be huge throughout this season.
The problem is “my.” My country. My birth. My choice. My perspective. My beliefs. My values. My dreams. My fears. My security. My freedom.
Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.”
We want to ask, “What belongs to me or to what may I stake my claim?” Life’s most important question is, “To Whom do I belong; to Whom do I pledge ultimate allegiance?”
“My” is not a bad word. It is just the wrong word when we use it to claim that which rightfully belongs to someone else. The only One who can truly say, “This is my country,” is the One who can say it of every country, not just the USA.
Would you join me in praying that we won’t mess it up? It matters to Him.
Bonus: Here are a couple of YouTube Videos that include the whole song:
