Last week I wrote that I love my country, but I am conscious that people in other places love their country as well. The hymn, This Is My song, O God of All the Nations contains the line “But other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine…O hear my song, Thou God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.” I think there is nothing inconsistent with loving one’s own country and at the same time wishing the best for other countries and peoples. I think it is quite natural to feel attachment to the place of our birth. We have memories which we esteem in our lives about the place where we live. In the ancient world the land where one lived was a part of identity for the people. That sense of place and identity lives on in us even today. The question where are you from? Is a normal part of beginning acquaintanceship. Place often shapes our early identity and can continue as an influence all of our lives. People can deeply love their country even when they disagree with the policies of their government. So I honor those who identify with their own country and wish it to achieve its highest ideals. God is a God of all then nations. His love visits every place and every people. Nations that care about justice and human rights may be more in tune with God’s purposes, but his love and grace reaches out to all. Can we try to view other nations and people a bit more like God views them? Perhaps that could be a step to reducing conflict among the nations. Let there be peace on earth!