Even so citizenship, if it has no works, is dead, being but a word

The character trait for November for the FirstPLACE character education program, taking place in the schools of Branson and Taney County, for the month of November is “Citizenship – being loyal to your country.” What exactly does it mean to be “loyal?”

In general terms, a loyal person is one who is faithful to a person, a cause, obligation, duty, or has a steadfast allegiance to their country. How exactly does one show their loyalty to their country?

In reflecting on that question, the Ole Seagull is reminded of the verse of scripture saying, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” In terms of citizenship, the Ole Seagull would suggest that “Citizenship without works is meaningless, being but a word.”

The works of citizenship are generally performed out of a sense of duty to ones country.

Duty, in general is “an act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion.” Loyalty to anything, friend, family, God or country, entails duty and, without the performance of that duty, is basically meaningless.

Of what value would the Declaration of Independence be today if after saying “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” and signing it, its signers had sent it to England and done nothing else? From the “shot heard around the world, fired April 19, 1775 from Lexington Square, to the next patrol in Iraq, where would our nation be without the sacrifices of those who do their duty on her behalf?

Some of the duties of citizenship are not as dramatic or demanding. They are the simple things like respecting our flag, our laws, each other, our history, and those in authority. Things like taking the responsibility to pay taxes, follow laws, participate in government and its processes, keeping abreast of local and national issues, and, perhaps as important as anything, voting based on your knowledge of the issues and what would be best for ones “country” rather than just themselves.

“Citizenship – loyalty to ones country” is not simply a national thing. It starts with individuals, families and homes and spreads into local, state, and national governments. A nation’s citizenship is but a reflection of that nation’s individual, family, and local citizenship.

As the final curtain was falling on one of the most distinguished military careers in the history of our nation, General Douglas MacArthur spoke to a joint session of the congress on April 19, 1951. To an Ole Seagull, the last nineteen words of that speech embody the very essence of what citizenship is when he described himself as “An old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty.”

An Ole Seagull’s prayer would be that our great nation would be served, starting in our homes and going into the halls of government, at all levels, by those doing their duty as God has given them the light to see that duty.”