A Patriotic Lesson from a Foreign Building

Adapted from a “talk” I was asked to give at a 4th of July Gathering.

First, let me say that it’s wonderful to be with you today - the day we commemorate our nation’s independence. Like you, I love this country.

I want to share a story about patriotism by talking about a building in Europe.

There is an iconic image of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It was taken on the night of Dec. 29 1940, the worst night of the Nazi Germany Blitz attack. In the picture, ruinous buildings and smoke surround St. Paul’s as it jettisons into the night, standing stall and defiant. Just a few months earlier the cathedral was hit by a bomb, almost directly over it’s altar. The bombing on this night, though, caused a great fire. Many worried that this fire would consume St. Paul’s. Winston Churchill - understanding the significance of that building to his people - ordered that it should be protected at all costs.

But there was a hitch - a major one. Water was in short supply. The mains were being bombed, and although hoses could be filled from the nearby Thames, it was at an unusually low ebb - and unexploded bombs lay in the mud.

One firman said: "By the time we finished tackling the fires on the roof of the [Stock] Exchange, the sky, which was ebony black when we first got up there, was now changing to a yellowy orange colour. It looked like there was an enormous circle of fire, including St Paul's churchyard.”'

Bombs rained down on the cathedral. Volunteer firewatchers patrolled its myriad corridors, armed with sandbags and water pumps to douse the flames.

One bomb threatened the cathedral falling onto the roof. Miraculously, it rolled backwards into a stone yard and was quickly extinguished (Imagine running to put out a bomb… Amazingly this conflict is something that Americans ran to. My own grandfather faked his age in order to enlist early. He dropped soldiers off onto beaches… Many of them to their death. Are we willing to run to the aid of others?)

The picture that I spoke about became in the words of one reporter:"instantly famous", and turned the Cathedral into "a symbol of togetherness, survival and suffering”.

From this account, it seems that while the physical buildings around that city were suffering, unity was high.

Things brings me to a question. Our economy is in a time of boom, but how are our unseen buildings? How is the tower of our patriotism? How is the home of our faith? Does the edifice of the American Dream stand tall, much like St. Paul’s did on that cold night in 1940?

Many say that we live in a difficult era. That is partly true. We have many problems that we face individuals, as a community, and as a nation. Despite this, I’m convinced that our best times, if we commit to it, are in front of us. My friend, Boyd Matheson, recently shared the following through his column in the Deseret News:

The magic of America is not housed in the halls of Congress, memorialized in a majestic monument or stored in a secure vault. The magic of America is found within ordinary people who do extraordinary things each day. The neighbor helping a neighbor in need, the teacher staying late to help a struggling student, the friend intently listening to a tale of heartbreak, the professional providing free service to solve a problem, the child standing up to a bully for a classmate — these heroic citizens are the thread with which strong neighborhoods and vibrant communities are woven. It is the culture that leads, drives and fortifies the nation.

I completely agree. Patriotism still means what it’s meant for years. a love of country.

How do we love our country? A few suggestions. We make the substance of our communities innovation, work, love, faith, and strength. We keep our promises. We dream about doing big, important things. We value people are politics, technology and ourselves. Most importantly we serve.

We can’t forget that this country was founded and built by people that willingly walked away from power, escaped oppression, explored wilderness, industrialized our land, preached the "pursuit of happiness”and to quote the song “more than self their country loved.” That’s our heritage. That’s our legacy.

Now, I’d better close. Keeping people from their food is not a great way to make friends. Let me conclude by quoting John Kennedy:

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

Happy 4th of July. May God bless us and our dear country.