This year for Lent, I wanted to give up something truly Christian.Of course, I didn’t even start to think about what that would beuntil Lent started.
Sohere I am, not far from Easter, and I just now decided what I amgoing to give up for Lent — national pride.
It finally hit me when I saw an SUV pass me at 90 mph on the I-5freeway. On the bumper there were two stickers. One was a picture ofthe Christian fish and the other was a flag with the words “NationalPride” above it.
I let out a brief laugh as the careening oxymoron drove past me.
Christians aren’t supposed to have pride! Pride is the first sin– the defining characteristic of Lucifer himself. Humility isperhaps the most emphasized virtue in all of Jesus’ teachings.
Yetthis country is brimming with both pride and Christianity.
Odd.
For a nation that has “In God We Trust” printed on its money, andfor how often as I hear “God Bless America,” I am astounded at ouropen love of “national pride”.
The Christian Coalition’s lobbyists have created a situation whereyou can’t say the Lord’s name in vain on television, yet our leaderscan commit open acts of pride and vanity in a national address.
There is another group that has a lot of pride and uses it as abasis for superiority — The Ku Klux Klan. However, I don’t see abunch of Christians driving around with WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?)and WPWW (White Pride WorldWide) on their bumpers.
It’s not that different. When “Dubya” gets on the podium andbabbles his “them and us, good versus evil” rhetoric, but then goeson about how we are “the greatest country in history,” I begin tolook for a burning cross in the background.
That’s why I swore off national pride — for the rest of Lent andTHE REST OF TIME. I am now doing my best to practice nationalhumility.
Pride is arrogant, and it leads to persecution and poor judgment.It is the key to blocking understanding.
There is a saying you often find on Hallmark cards and Dawson’sCreek reruns, yet still carries a great deal of truth: “When webelieve we know everything, we know nothing. Only when we acknowledgethat we know nothing, we can begin to learn.” If this is true, thenit is only when we realize, as a nation, that we still have much tolearn, that our democracy can begin to progress.
But as long as we fly that flag just inches from our eyes, and let”national pride” blind us to the entire global spectrum, we’llcontinue to act in a biased and unilateral fashion.
The only explanation I have for the American Christian’s hypocrisyof claiming to follow the teachings of Jesus while still admiringnational pride is ignorance. Christians don’t see national pride as”that kind of pride.” When pride proclaims superiority, it is “thatkind of pride” — the pride that, in Christian ideology, created andwill continue to send people to hell.
Whether Jesus was the son of God, or just some guy walking aroundbeing nice to people, he was right about a lot of things. Many ofJesus’ teachings are good advice to everybody, regardless ofspiritual orientation. His views on humility and pride will fosterunderstanding, both spiritually and politically.
This nation needs to drop its empty slogans and swallow its prideif it is ever to be at peace with the world. Leave pride for thebigots who burn the cross — let’s salvage this nation’s soul.
–Joe Zarro is an undeclared sophomore.
–This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of TheDaily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com.Anonymous letters will not be printed — include your full name,major and year in school.
