Bo Wagner is pastor of the Cornerstone Baptist Church of Mooresboro, NC, a widely traveled evangelist, and the author of several books. His books are available on Amazon and at www.wordofhismouth.com

It was predictable, really, that my weekly “A few early morning pics from CBC” on my Pastor Bo Wagner Facebook page this past Sunday drew scrutiny and criticism; any time I ever post anything showing symbols of America, it happens.

“God and country is 2 masters haha you cant serve 2 masters it makes you a lying hypocrite haha”

Believe me, if I could mail Andrew (the guy who posted the above response) a few commas, an apostrophe, and a period for his usage, I would. Not that he would have a clue what to do with them, or with the primer of logic I would also love to send, but I would love to send all the above nonetheless.

I would love to do more, though, for him and everyone else. This week, we will celebrate the 250th year birthday of our beloved land. I would love to remind everyone why this land should be beloved to us, and have them truly get it all the way to the depths of their hearts. I would also like to remind people that gratitude to God for our blessings is always an appropriate thing.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” It does not say “In every thing, give thanks, except for your country: for that would make you a lying hypocrite who serves 2 masters haha”

America has shed rivers of her own blood to liberate people around the world, including within her own borders. Her influence has inspired the downtrodden around the globe to push for their own freedom and liberty; every time a people tries to throw off the shackles of those who tyrannize them, it will be Old Glory they wave alongside of their own flags.

America institutionalized the concept of government being a servant to the people rather than the people being servants to government. As Abraham Lincoln so succinctly put it, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” This was not the historical model nations generally followed; it was the exact opposite. What we are now so used to was utterly radical to the rest of the world when it was conceived.

America allows such freedom that people can even openly criticize her leaders. This has always stood out to me as the surest sign of the insanity of those who believe we are in bondage here: if citizens in other countries said the same things about, say, Kim Jong Un as Americans do of our leaders, they would be put to death. Here, you better have a thick skin to be in politics, because people even have freedom to say things that are truly vile about our leaders.

In America, you can dream as big as you want to dream, and then make it come true. We are the catch-rockets-in-giant-chopsticks/walk-on-the-moon/rags-to-riches land. Wilbur and Orville put mankind into the air, NASA took us to the moon, Elon Musk will take us to Mars, and some kid in the projects will likely grown up to have us doing tours of Saturn’s rings.

America shows up around the world when a natural disaster strikes. And I don’t just mean some branch of the military at the command of the President; our private citizens, led by people like Samaritan’s Purse, will probably beat them to it.

America sends missionaries around the world with the gospel. This past week, at a little church I was preaching at in Walland, Tennessee, 25,000 plus Bibles were loaded into a container to be shipped overseas for free.

America revolves around principles rather than heredity/melanin. We have no royalty; we have a Constitution. People coagulate around those of like mind, not necessarily those of like appearance or descent. This makes for the most “the ground is level here” setup on earth.

America does not copy, she pioneers. She does near miracles in medicine and technology. Eli Whitney gave the world the cotton gin, and American creators have gone on to unfathomable heights of creation from there.

In America, you can go to a single town and find a Buc–ees, a Bojangles, a sushi place, two steakhouses, three Chinese restaurants, half a dozen Mexican restaurants, one or two melt-in-your-mouth barbecue joints, pizza places, a Krispy Kreme, and mom-and-pop diners that honestly top all the rest.

America is where you can get rich just by contributing to a retirement account. It is where you can either work for someone else, or start your own business right beside another and compete for customers. And from the customer’s side of things, it is where that very competition benefits you, since people are having to compete for dollars that can only be gained by satisfying you more than the other guy does.

America is where we have abundance rather than bread lines, air conditioning in nearly every home and business, spacious homes, and the ability to pass the fruits of our labors down to our children and grandchildren.

God has been good to us here, and I am grateful to Him for America; for two-hundred-fifty, she still looks gorgeous to me.

Pastor Wagner can be contacted by email at 2knowhim@cbc-web.org, and his books are available by clicking the Store link above.

Feature photo by Pastor Bo Wagner