Mariners Church Weekend Messages
Episode: The Cross and the Flag: How Much Should We Love Our Country?
Speaker: Eric Geiger (Senior Pastor)
Date: February 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this message, Pastor Eric Geiger addresses a challenging question often wrestled with, especially around national holidays: "How much should Christians love their country?" Eric explores the tension between patriotism and faith, sharing personal experiences, biblical grounding, and practical wisdom for holding both deep gratitude for one’s country and a primary love for Christ.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Context: Patriotism in the Church

[04:44 – 10:50]

• Churches often debate how patriotic their worship should be, particularly around Independence Day (July 4th). Some believe in celebrating with flags and historic reenactments; others avoid overt displays.
• Francis Schaeffer's influence: He questioned what message is sent when an American flag is placed next to the Christian flag in churches—are they being presented as equal loyalties?
  • Quote: “Does having the two flags in your church mean that Christianity and the American establishment are equal? If it does, you are really in trouble. These are not two equal loyalties.” (Francis Schaeffer, paraphrased) [09:25]
• Statistics: 60% of pastors add patriotic elements to worship, but over 50% also worry that some congregants love their country more than God.

2. Eric’s Personal Journey with Patriotism and Faith

[10:50 – 17:35]

• Grew up in a patriotic family, shaped by his grandfather—an immigrant and entrepreneur whose farm hosted President Reagan in 1982—an American dream narrative.
• Childhood patriotism was fueled by popular 1980s movies (Red Dawn, Rocky IV, Top Gun), instilling a deep American pride.
• After becoming a follower of Jesus and a youth pastor, Eric experienced discomfort with worship services that intertwined patriotic and Christian themes. He observed people expressing more passion for patriotic songs than worship to Jesus:
  • Quote: “When the songs were about Jesus, people were kind of like this. But when the song was about America, hands went up. People were screaming and singing at the top of their lungs... Jesus should be the hero of this gathering.” [16:44]

3. Wider Perspective through Multicultural Ministry

[17:35 – 20:55]

• Pastored in Miami, where his church had members from 76 countries—witnessed gratitude and love for the US from recent immigrants, paralleling his grandfather’s story.
• Example: Marco Rubio (current Secretary of State, then a church member) represented this “only in America” narrative.
• Learned to hold both: a grateful love for country and a primary affection for Jesus.

4. Biblical Teaching: Acts 17:26 – God’s Sovereignty Over Nations

[20:55 – 27:14]

• Paul’s speech in Athens teaches that all nationalities come from one man (Adam) and that God established their boundaries and appointed times.
• Key theological points:
  • Unity of humanity (one human race) AND the God-ordained value of different ethnicities and nations.
  • God intentionally places people in specific nations and times—our “here and now” matters.
• Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but the Kingdom of Christ will never end.

5. How Should Christians Love Their Country? "Love Here, Long for There"

[27:14 – 31:54]

• Christians should love where God has placed them (“Love here”) but always set their deepest affection on the eternal Kingdom (“Long for there”).
• Loving your country is not just permitted but is a response to God’s providence.
• Ministry Principle: “You can’t reach a people if you don’t love a people. And Christians will not make a difference in their country if they don’t love their country.” [29:36]
• Biblical examples:
  • Jesus wept for Jerusalem (even as its people would kill Him).
  • Paul’s sacrificial love for his people in Romans 9.
    • Quote: “I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.” (Romans 9, paraphrased) [30:40]

6. Avoiding Idolatry: God Above Country

[31:54 – 36:23]

• The danger isn’t loving your country, career, or family too much—but loving God too little.
• True order: “Love your God more.” When God is highest in affection, all other loves are rightly ordered and more fruitful.
• C.S. Lewis insight:
  • Quote: “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” [34:47]
• Final heavenly vision (Revelation 7): Multitudes from every nation worshiping Jesus—not their countries—because only Jesus is worthy.

7. Serving as a Way to Love Your Place

[36:23 – 38:24]

• Loving your country/city/community is demonstrated by serving it, not just benefiting from it.
• Mariners provides many tangible opportunities: disaster relief, youth tutoring, ESL, supporting expectant mothers, military and foster ministries, food pantries, work with the homeless and in assisted living.
• Quote: “By the way, if you serve Southern California, you'll find yourself loving it even more and you'll find yourself less angry… You’ll find that you can make an impact by serving people.” [37:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Idolatry:
  “We can take good things and make them an idol… we can take our country and make our country our ultimate hope, our ultimate home. That’s idolatry.” [32:30]
• Summing the Message:
  “You should love here and long for there… We celebrate where God has placed us because we’re thankful for where God has placed us. But we ultimately long for our everlasting home with Jesus because he’s the ultimate savior.” [33:12]
• On Worship:
  “When we are there in everlasting paradise… we will not be singing about the glories of America. We will be singing about the glory of the one who rescued us and saved us and gave us everlasting life.” [34:10]
• Final Blessing:
  “Jesus, I pray you’d bless your sons and daughters this week, that you would remind them that you were gentle and approachable and that you love them, cause your face to shine on them.” [37:30]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Patriotism and the Church (Opening, Francis Schaeffer reference) – [04:44]
• Personal Patriotism Journey – [10:50]
• Experience with Over-Patriotic Worship – [16:44]
• Diverse Church, Miami Insights (Marco Rubio story) – [18:25]
• Acts 17:26 and Theology of Nations – [20:55]
• Loving Here, Longing for There – [27:14]
• Romans 9 and Sacrificial Love for People – [30:40]
• Idolatry and the Order of Love – [32:30]
• C.S. Lewis Quotation – [34:47]
• Vision of Heaven (Revelation 7) – [34:10]
• Serving as Love in Action (Outro and Service Card Mention) – [36:23]
• Final Benediction – [37:30]

Takeaways

• Christians should love their country as an expression of gratitude to God, but ultimate allegiance belongs to Christ.
• True impact and influence in a place comes through loving, serving, and seeking the good of that community.
• Navigating the balance between patriotism and faith is complex but possible, when Jesus is the hero—always at the center.
• The vision of heaven is multi-ethnic and Christ-centered; this truth shapes our affections and priorities here and now.

For more messages from Mariners Church, visit marinerschurch.org.