Originally published in the Deseret News.
I love the word “grace,” but, like most people, I don’t normally associate it with patriotism. Over the past several years, that’s changed. The tragedy of September 11 and the unity that followed, the controversial wars, the bitter entanglements in Washington and the national funk we’ve been through — and many would say are still in — have taken root in me. Patriotic grace is now part of my mindset and has a certain Fourth of July appeal.
All of us are familiar with various definitions of grace, and they are all appealing. Grace is something we say when we bless our food, it’s embodied in the fluidity of movement and beauty of a dancer, and it’s freely given by our Maker. It’s also a characteristic found in people who have a sense of propriety and consideration for others. Kindness and compassion are twin cousins to this type of grace.
When you combine grace with patriotism — love of country — something remarkable happens. You begin to see differently. You gain an extraordinary sense of gratitude for our country and you develop openness to constructive ideas that will make it better. Rancor, division, name-calling and arrogance lose their appeal.
The term “patriotic grace” comes from a book of the same title written by best-selling author and Ronald Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan. She defines patriotic grace as a chosen style of governance that eschews the politically cheap and manipulative and encourages affection and respect for the nation we love. It acknowledges, in Noonan’s words, “the small things that divide us are not worthy of the moment.”
There are many recent examples in public discourse of patriotic grace and nongrace, many of which were punctuated this week.
Patriotic grace was shown when Utah lawmakers passed landmark legislation this year that protects people from discrimination in housing or employment based on sexual orientation and protects religious beliefs about marriage and family.
Patriotic grace was NOT shown when the Obama Administration lit up the White House in rainbow colors after the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law of the land. This will go down in my mind as an unnecessary and divisive spiking of the football.
Patriotic grace was shown when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently made a donation to the Utah Pride Center to purchase food for people in need. The Pride Center’s board chairman said he appreciates the LDS Church’s willingness to set aside theological differences to support and improve the community.
Patriotic grace was NOT shown when a Utah lawmaker made public statements this week about how the Supreme Court’s ruling could lead to legalizing prohibited marital practices like bestiality. Statements like this are offensive and unhelpful.
Patriotic grace was shown when the color guard brought out our flag before a Utah Symphony concert at Thanksgiving Point this week. The seriousness, pride and sense of responsibility of the four Boy Scouts who marched in the flag unified the audience as the symphony played the national anthem. Our love of country stood still for a moment.
Patriotic grace was NOT shown when Donald Trump called Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals. Shame on him.
Patriotic grace was shown when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team defeated top-ranked Germany in a superbly played match. The display of talent combined with sportsmanship and honor spoke well of our country. We honor the team’s spirit this weekend.
I recently read about Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich parking his superyacht at a New York City pier. His vessel was at the time the largest yacht in the world, measuring 533 feet long and costing around $1 billion. It has a crew of 70, two swimming pools, a missile-defense system and a minisubmarine on board. So what was it doing docked at a Manhattan pier for three months at a price of $500,000 per week?
The answer came when the billionaire’s girlfriend gave birth to a girl named Leah. As Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens put it, “The cosmopolitan couple were careful to ensure that she would have the sturdiest root of all in life: American birth and American citizenship.”
Patriotic grace for me is a calling. It begins with gratitude for the gift of being born in this country. It extends into our actions — the way we live our citizenship. It comes with a certain sense of responsibility and honor to represent high ideals in our discourse and practice them in our lives. It’s something I hope to cultivate this weekend as we celebrate the birth of this remarkable country and strive to make it a more perfect union.