By Ashlie Miller
Weddings, graduations, early summer trips – so many things happen this time of year that Flag Day is often an afterthought. I’m speaking to myself here as much as anyone else. Sports fanaticism or celebration of other things has outpaced patriotism for many. Waving a flag outside one’s home may not be as common on your street as it was in a bygone era, or perhaps it is more common in your town but less so in the next town.
The presence of any flag can still evoke strong emotions and opinions, both among those who hoist them and those who view them. The unfurled symbol can be pretty controversial. While many do not hesitate to plaster various stickers on a car to express their unsolicited opinions to the world, waving a flag from a home can be quite another matter. It serves as an identifier for a unified household, although many homes are divided. (Go by any house with alumni of rival colleges – you’ll see their “house divided” yard signs or banners!)
Raising a flag over a residence communicates many things. In the days and lands of monarchs, the flag billowing above the castle would announce who was present or that royalty was in attendance. It could symbolize the castle’s owner or whether it is under the control of another country or government. When a castle is used as a military base, that branch of service may hoist its flag while in use.
If you were to fly a flag declaring who or what is in residence, what would it look like? What would be the symbol?
There is an old praise song that many children used to sing: “Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart showing the King is in residence there. Let it fly in the sky; let the whole world know that the King is in residence there.” Psalm 20:5 comes to mind as God’s people shout for joy over His victory, raising high their banner. Joy – what a great flag to unfurl!
Do others see joy exuding from me?
The “she” in Song of Solomon 2 speaks of the banner of love her lover has for her. That recalls to mind another song I learned as a child – “His Banner Over Me Is Love” – “He brought me to his banqueting table, His banner over me is love.”
Can others tell that I know I am loved by the Lord, and do I share that they are, too?
Maybe the flag that flutters sends out a more distressing cry – someone or something else is in charge or has invaded. Perhaps a white flag signals surrender because we have been in over our heads for far too long. How did we let something else take control of our hearts? Did we surrender to it? These flags we fly are a disgrace to us personally or to our testimony of professing to believe in Christ as our all-powerful Savior.
In a quick search for Flag Day events, I did not find many. Perhaps they were a more common event at another time. I did find opportunities to retire old, worn-out flags so that they would not be a disgrace to our country. For some of us, some flags have been flapping for too long. It is time to retire the banner and hoist another flag, indicating a new ruler. Happy Flag Day!
