#18 America…sort of

I am enjoying a bowl of Americone Dream, the delicious Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor inspired by Stephen Colbert. It is at these moments I am particularly proud to be American. Thank you Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, Ben, Jerry, and the Redeem Team. No expert on novelty ice cream, I am nearly certain we are the only country full of patriots who celebrate our democracy in ice cream bowls. If there is an Deutchsland Delight, it is probably made for American tourists.

I love singing America the Beautiful in church in July as much as the next guy. Like you, I am proud of “in God we trust” and “one nation, under God.” And, like you, every once in a while I think about where these are good things.

Like everyone else, I have some friends who are outwardly anti-america. They still live here, of course, like I do. I laugh inwardly at them when they complain, and casually suggest they move to Canada or the moon. But here we both stay, nice and comfortable, eating Americone Dream.

Aldous Huxley said he has the impression that too many of us love “their nation state far more than they love their God.” Wooooo, slow down buddy. That’s a little bold. I love 4th of July hot dogs and watching Taylor Swift sing the national anthem as much as the next guy, but there’s no way I love America more than God.

I hope that’s true. Who knows what will happen in the next 2 years, 10 years, on November 4. I hope (if I already haven’t) that if I ever have to choose between the two I’ll make the right choice.