While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.
I said that I suspected few Americans were unfamiliar with this song, but in fact, I'm not sure the opening verse is quite as familiar as the following refrain since it is rarely heard. Indeed, I myself was not familiar with those opening lines until I researched the song for this blog post. They seem to intensify the already strongly religious flavor of more familiar chorus.
And yet, even though the song is unabashedly "religious" in some sense, the song is not definitively a Christian song. Berlin himself was a Jew who married a Catholic (allegedly in later years he became an agnostic). The "God" whose favor is sought in the song is rather generic it seems to me, and the song could be sung in good conscience by those of almost any monotheistic religious faith. In fact, I think it could be argued that the song is a classic example of what has been called "civil religion" in America--a vague belief in a non-sectarian God that would only offend the hardcore atheist.
However, it is not so much its vague religiosity that, to me, makes the song somewhat problematic for a Christian. Rather, it is its call for God to bless America. Can followers of Christ ask God to bless the United States with a clear conscience? This seems to me a particularly relevant question in light of recent events, like the U.S. Supreme Court's decision just a few days ago mandating recognition of same-sex "marriages" throughout the country--especially given that this court ruling is just another in a series of events and trends demonstrating how far short America falls of biblical standards. It hardly seems fitting that Christian believers should ask God to bless such a nation, many of whose citizens seem increasingly determined to reject the "God of our fathers" (to quote a patriotic American hymn).
Nevertheless, perhaps it would still be appropriate for Christians to pray that the American people and their leaders might yet allow God to "guide her/Through the night with [the] light from above"--the light of His word. Perhaps by doing so American believers could demonstrate a love for their country that is pleasing to the One who is the judge of all the nations, a love that is not blind to the sins of one's own country but still yearns to see that nation turn to the Almighty in repentance.
Image of an American flag from commons.wikimedia.org