The lake most blue of them all is ours
And the reddest field of rye
The whitest birch grove
The blackest loaf of dark bread
The sky most holy
Because God has given us his most
beautiful land
(Poet Laimonis Vāczemnieks)
November has begun with a beautiful
fog and it is the month of the year when the independence of Latvia
is celebrated. I believe we could simply call it Latvia's birthday.
This is the time when the willingness to ponder questions about
Latvia's independence, patriotism and national identity are in the
air. Over the course of this article I will be sharing my insight
concerning the above mentioned questions and as well briefly touching
the opinions of other Christians on these topics.
Before sharing my insight on
patriotism, please let me share my personal journey or my story of
the way patriotism was born within me.
I remember that I felt myself a
patriot already in my childhood which was passed during the time when
Latvia regained its independence. There were barricades, a stronghold
around the government buildings in Riga. I believe that childhood
impressions have the most lasting impact on the person and in shaping
his or her personality.
When I was in primary school I lived
in Kengarags. At that time it seemed to me that everyone around me
were speaking in Russian. Often times I felt that the only ones
speaking in Latvian were the anchor on the Panorama news and our
next-door Latvian neighbors. It was around year 1990 when Latvians in
their own country were almost a minority. What was it that I was
thinking about in primary school? My classmates (boys) would from
time to time get into a fight and this is what I thought about, “Why
is it that Latvians are fighting against Latvians? We are one nation
after all and we all ought to live in peace.” A child's reasoning …
But what can the adults learn from this – the nation's common
interests should be placed above different opinions, personal
ambitions and envy, be it politics or another field.
At school I was very fond of history.
Thanks to that interest I am very good at Latvia's history and
geography. I believe the interest in one's nation (or the particular
district they are from) is a way how everyone can strengthen one's
love and respect for their native land.
To sum up all this I can say that I
see Latvia as a precious treasure. I am one of those who thinks that
to us as Latvians and those of Latvia this country is a gift from God
that needs to be protected and taken care of. God has entrusted us
with this particular territory on the face of the earth. To Germans
He has given Germany, Ukrainians – Ukraine, Russians – Russia.
But to us Latvians it is Latvia and we sing and pray about it in our
national anthem “God bless Latvia.”
When I became a Christian I started
thinking how to substantiate patriotism and feeling of national
belonging from a Christian point of view. Would it be a task
entrusted to Christians from God?
From what is written in the Holy
Scriptures we can conclude that God is the one who gives people
territories and countries. To the Jews He gave the Promised land
(today known as the state of Israel) from the Mediterranean Sea to
the Jordan river. To Latvians God has given Latvia from the Baltic
sea to the Zilupe river. The country Latvia, our land, nation and the
language are God's given treasures.
God in the Bible has revealed that He
is the creator of all the people and all that exists. In the book of
Genesis the grand story of creation ends with the following words,
“So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were
completed.” (Genesis 2:1, NirV) God is also the creator of nations
and he marks the boundaries to where they should live. The apostle
Paul testifies of that in his famous speech to the people of Athens,
“From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live
all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he
decided exactly where they should live.” (Acts 17:26, NIrV).
However evangelist John wrote of God's love saying, “For God loved
the world so much that He gave His one and only Son. Anyone who
believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.” (John
3:16, NirV) God loves the world, including every individual, nation
and nature that encloses all of God's creation and order. God holds
dear to His heart every nation and the national heritage of those
nations – the language, cultural values, their uniqueness and the
common historical memory. God loves giving gifts. A gift is the way
God shows the power of His love. I believe that national belonging,
language, cultural heritage are gifts that we as a nation before God
should take care of and pass on to the next generations of our
nation.
But what about a national state, the
republic of Latvia where Latvians are the core nation? Is it a must
to have a national state in order to speak in Latvian and guard our
national identity and with that live through the years in honor of
God? I do not like to ask such questions and I am willing to see it
as a waste of time, but such questions are prone to pop up in public
discussions. How to answer? The flow of history indicates that for us
as nation to blossom in unity and have our own language and culture
we need an independent state. That is the necessary precondition. One
can say that during the Soviet times when Latvia was occupied many
things were free. But what's the use if a person for expressing his
or her opinion could have been put into prison, a mental hospital or
deported. I have heard stories where, for example, students who were
attending church where put to shame in front of the whole class.
Today
it is very important to strengthen our common will of the state.
“Will of the state” has a spiritual value and its meaning has
been very much emphasized in the preamble of the Constitution of the
Republic of Latvia by its author Dr. iur. Egils Levits. I believe the
way we can strengthen our nation's will of the state is convincing
ourselves that our independent Republic of Latvia despite its many
flaws is the best that could have happen state wise. We can be
grateful to God for His presence in the course of our dramatic
history. Latvia did not form on its own and it was not given to us by
another secular power. On the contrary – Latvia was won by the
bravery of our soldiers and the self-denial of the statesmen. The
proclamation of independence in 1918 was a very bold move and a leap
of faith. I see it as a work done under God's covering. Latvia's
independence is God's grace to us – then and now, too. At that time
other nations such as Ukraine and George of the collapsed Russian
empire were proclaiming their independence. However they were not
able to protect their independence against the “restart” version
of the Russian empire – the USSR. Let us give thanks to God for the
fact that Latvia's independence is God's given condition so that our
nation's language and values would not be oppressed, but could freely
flourish throughout the ages. The purpose of our nation is well put
into words in the preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of
Latvia, “The State of Latvia, proclaimed on 18 November 1918, has
been established by uniting historical Latvian lands and on the basis
of the unwavering will of the Latvian nation to have its own State
and its inalienable right of self-determination in order to guarantee
the existence and development of the Latvian nation, its language and
culture throughout the centuries, to ensure freedom and promote
welfare of the people of Latvia and each individual.” [1]
“For God so loved the world …”
We are too invited to share God's love and love our native land and
our state.
Minister Dr.Theol. Guntis Kalme in his
books speaks a lot about Christian patriotism and invites to reflect
on the importance of home-consciousness on the way to Christian
patriotism. The love towards our home and the native land are the
contents of Christian patriotism. A house is the one place we make
most personal by living in it and letting it is sustain us. However
our home is also a part of something bigger – our native land.[2]
In 2014 a book by Pope John Paul II
“Memory and Identity” was published in Latvian. It contains
Pope's reflections on the love towards one's nation and patriotism.
John Paul II speaks of the idea of “fatherland”. The name
“fatherland” is connected to the meaning of the word “father”.
The author points to the significance of the parents in shaping
feeling of belonging to ones fatherland. From them (our parents) we
inherit first our life and then all the rest that links us to the
community. As the Pope has stated, we receive the totality of the
blessings. The fatherland, our state is treasure we inherit from our
ancestors.
Both Guntis Kalme and John Paul II
believe and stress that the motivation for Christians to be patriots
and be responsible citizens is right here. The fourth commandment
speaks of it, “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a
long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus
20:12, NirV) John Paul II reminds us that our duty is to respect our
father and mother. “We ought to honor our parents because they are
God's, our Creator's representatives. By giving us life they have
participated in the mystery of creation and therefore worthy of our
respect, similar to the one given to God the Creator. Patriotism is a
similar attitude but towards our fatherland, which is each
individual's true Mather. The spiritual heritage we receive from our
father and mother and it is the foundation for respect. Being a
patriot means loving everything about the fatherland – its history,
traditions, language and the nature. It is also love towards the folk
art of the fellow countrymen.” [3]
Latvia today and my responsibility
If we recognize ourselves as patriots,
then our next step is to think about what I can personally do to
support my fatherland today and how to help shape its future tomorrow
and help my nation.
Christians are citizens of two
kingdoms. They by the love of God and faith in Lord Jesus Christ
belong to the kingdom of heaven. But here on earth, in our country
Latvia, we are citizens of a secular state. Of this we are reminded
by a German journalist Peter Hahne in his book, “Taking Care of
City's Wellbeing” [4]. He stresses that Christians need to
participate in the life of a democratic state. I agree with that and
I believe that not one Christian is called to underestimate their
abilities and duty to be a responsible and active citizen of Latvia.
Bible teaches us to obey rulers and
authorities of one's country. The words said to the religious leaders
by Jesus, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God
what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17, NirV) can be related the ruler
and authorities of Latvia.
With the order “give to Caesar”
Jesus says that we are fulfilling the duty of a citizen – by paying
taxes, attending elections, by showing interest it what is going on
in our country and by not being indifferent. Instead of a Caesar we
have a legislative power which is elected in a democratic way. I
would like to point out some very important areas where the
participation of Christians is essential.
Elections.
Participating in elections after
coming of age is a must. It is important to give one's vote to
candidates and political powers who have not violated Christian
principles in their work and who support traditional values – a
natural family, marriage as a unity between a man and a woman, child
raising according to the laws of God or the nature. It is also
important that the candidates are loyal to the basic values of Latvia
and the interest of Latvia's nation.
Supporting Latvia's core values.
Latvia is the only country in the
world where Latvians are the core nation. It is a country where the
Latvian language, culture and values can exist. An important task for
each of us is to enable foreigner integration and their loyalty
towards Latvia. First of all, we should proudly bear a heritage
entrusted to us by God – our Latvian identity and our national
values. Second of all, we ought to speak Latvian in Latvia and with a
smile on our faces.
Social and political activity.
Christian minded people should be
participating in solving various issues of secular nature. That is
being done in each person's professional career. But I also invite
not to underestimate a possibility to participate in different
none-profit organizations. Another way is organizing events where
questions important to the nation and the country are touched upon.
An example could be an initiative that invites young people to avoid
smoking and focus on eating healthy
The
politics is also a field for Christians.[6] People known to me to
have chosen this path are members of the parliament Inga Bite and
Einars Cilinskis. Peter Hahne writes, “If the politics are people
oriented, it is obvious that Christians should be participating.
Politics are about serving people.” [7] He is quoting a German
politician Horst
Waffenschmidt, “To me serving in politics is all about Jesus
Christ's invitation for us to love God and our neighbor.” [8] Could
there be a better motivation?
Honoring life.
Christian minded
people should stand for God given and Bible based values towards
person's life. It is a deep respect to life from the moment of
conception. Abortion, experiments on cell level and artificial in
vitro fertilization (IVF) all are against the Christian ethics and
even against the life ethics of secular logic.
About the value of family.
A family is the foundation of our
country and our nation. Thanks to families with strong sense of
national belonging we still have a nation that has survived through
the ages. I know that many of us have not been raised in harmonious
families. Many have faced the hurt of a broken family. However in our
faith to the Good News God invites us to be shaping our personality –
our body, soul and spirit – until the time we meet the person with
whom we will be building our own family. Today we desperately need
testimonies from wives and husbands about the kind of love that
conquers difficulties. It is important for the youth to know that it
is worth to set a goal and make this promise, “I will do all that I
can to have a marriage that lasts a lifetime.” One of the greatest
tasks for the believers is to testify of God's vision for the union
of a man and a woman in a marriage
About the education and calling in
life.
It doesn't really matter where one is
working or what he or she is studying. They are still able to fulfill
their tasks by praying that whatever they do it honors God. Bathe
your every step in prayer, “Jesus, this preparation for the exam is
for you.” It doesn't matter if it is a chemistry or a music exam.
If you are not sure what your calling is while you are still
studying, do not be afraid to experiment and try out as many
different fields as possible. Enroll in the self-government or help
organize different projects. That will enhance your personal growth
For example I used to be quite bashful
and was not into organizing events. It went like this – I was
invited to participate in the self-government of the students of the
Latvian Academy of Music. I thought to myself, “Why not?” Working
there together with my colleagues made me love to brainstorm and
execute different ideas. It was around the same time I became a
Christian. My experience at the self-government helped me discover
talents and opportunities unbeknownst to be before
To know Latvia. Latvia is a miracle
created by God and shaped by its people. Go on a tour around Latvia
and get to know its cities, country side and its nature. I am myself
very enthusiastic about discovering Latvia. I have been on various
bike trips all through high school and university
Out of respect towards the heritage
given to us by our ancestors – an independent state of Latvia, our
responsibility is to know the history of Latvia. Books are not always
easy and fun to read, but we all can pay a visit to the War museum,
Occupation museum or other museums. Or you could learn more about the
time when Latvia regained its independence. A good source on the
Internet is http://www.barikadopedija.lv/raksti/S%C4%81kumlapa.
Your parents and grandparents could tell you about this time as well.
It is also important to acquaint one
self with Latvia's cultural values. A good way to begin would be
learning about the cultural canon of Latvia or in other words –
Latvia's most significant cultural values
(http://www.kulturaskanons.lv/lv/1/).
In the conclusion I would like to wish
you, readers, a beautiful and spiritually filled month of Latvia's
birthday. May God lead us and strengthen us in our faith, hope and
love. God bless Latvia!
Mg. art. Jurģis Klotiņš
Musician, organizer of cultural
events, socially active and Christian-minded patriot of Latvia
Riga, November 2, 2014
[3] Jānis
Pāvils II. Atmiņa
un identitāte.KALA
Raksti. Rīga, 2014.70. – 71. lpp.
[4]PētersHāne. Rūpējieties
par pilsētas labklājību. Vērtības – politikā un
sabiedrībā. Amnis.
Rīga, 2008
[5]P.
Hāne. 33. lpp.
[6]Manas
sarunas par politiku kristīgā vidē rāda, ka svarīgi ir izprast
baznīcas un valsts šķirtības principu, kas ierakstīts Latvijas
Republikas Satversmē. Par to detalizēti var izlasīt: “Balodis,
Ringolds. 99. Ikvienam ir tiesības uz domas, apziņas un reliģiskās
pārliecības brīvību. Baznīca ir atdalīta no valsts. No:
Latvijas Republikas Satversmes komentāri VIII Cilvēka
pamattiesības. Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2011.”
[7]PētersHāne. Rūpējieties
par pilsētas labklājību. Vērtības – politikā un
sabiedrībā. Amnis.
Rīga, 2008, 31. lpp.
[8]turpat
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