If you know me very well at all, you know that I am not an 'American zealot'. Though I am deeply thankful and appreciative of the many freedoms and blessings that God has sent my way through the country of my birth, I by no means regard our country as above the rest or as possessing God's special blessing. You can attribute this attitude of mine if you want to my upbringing in another country or to my fortunate travels to various countries already at a young age. I have seen the world and it is no worse than here.

For this reason I greatly hesitate at the church's incessant combining of the church and the American government. I question the exalting of our nation's victories and worldwide agendas as if their purposes were synonymous.

With that in mind and with Martin Luther King Jr. Day at hand, I often wonder why this holiday lies disregarded in fundamental churches while Veteran's Day and Memorial day become increasingly sanctified. Is not the cause of racial freedom more connected with the church than the purposes of the Vietnam War? Is not the sin of hatred within our own people much more applicable than the sacrifice of life for the global expansion of democracy?

The message of the church in the midst of a secular culture which embraces inward hate for minorities remains that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." What a refreshing stance this is in contrast to the carnal mindset that is prejudiced and proud. The church ought to boldly proclaim the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. He was not fighting for political freedom or democracy in another land, but for the sin of hate and murder and racism to come to an end. The church ought to exclaim, "Yes, in Christ, we reject racism and we are all equal. Christ is our ethnicity!"

MLK Day should not be exalted in the church. To do so would be to commit the same error that we are guilty of with Veteran's or Memorial Day. But we should at least recognize that the ideals of this man are more in tune with the church than the ideals of American politics and wars.