nickel-plated patriotism

As a Detroit Red Wings fan, I am very familiar with fair weathered fans. Most people assume a fair weathered fan is a someone who switches loyalties with the changing tides. That is definitely part of it, but that's not entirely how I view it. I hate the Red Wings "fans" who start following them as soon as the playoffs start. They couldn't care less about the team all year, but once they're vying for the Cup, these chumps come out of the wood works. Oy.

Patriotism is much the same way. Rewind to September 12, 2001. Everyone was flying American flags, praying for our troops, and standing behind our country. It was trendy. People even loved President Bush. This is nickel plated patriotism. It sure looked good from the outside, but inside, it was worthless, false, and ready to be broken. Thanks to a number of outside forces (idiots), no one seems to support our country anymore. The troops are ripped in the media, the President has his lowest approval rating yet (by the way, every politicians approval rating is directly related to the media coverage he/she receives...I don't like everything the President has done, but I dont' think he's done as badly as CNN wants you to think...does anyone even know we are winning the war on terror, found WMDs in Iraq, and are liberating people around the world?), and we have people running for the very office of President who aren't even sure they're proud to be Americans. What the crap? This is set to be the most depressing election I've been able to be a part of.

Christians are just like fans and Americans. We're all about Jesus when things are going good, aren't we? As long as we have everything we need and want, there's nothing anyone can do to get us down. We also stand up when we're attacked. The Davinci Code becomes a big deal, and 100 books debunking the FICTION NOVEL are released defending the deity of Jesus. Billions of years is shoved down the throats of our kids, and we open a Creation Museum. But what do we do when the floor falls out from under us and we hit rock bottom? What happens when we can't do the things we want to, pay the bills we've acquired, or keep up with the Jones? We start to question God. He must not be listening if I can't have everything I want. Where did He go? God's approval rating always takes a hit when we're not feeling spoiled. Shameful, isn't it?

Support your team, even if they suck. Support your country, even if it's not exactly like you want it. And by all means, support your God, even when times are tough. Anything less would be uncivilized. Happy 4th of July (yes, I'm late). Good night now!