by Robert H. Schuller | 1952 07/01/07


Twenty-eight years ago today I delivered a message entitled, "I Am The American Flag." The world has changed dramatically in these years, but the sentiment is as strong now as it was then. The American Flag makes a statement I am the American Flag

I am the American Flag. I will speak from the wisdom of a long life. I first felt the vigor of wind in my multi-colored face when I unfurled my thirteen stars over two hundred years ago. I look down to see horses with their clattering hooves pulling rattling carriages over cobblestone streets. Since then I have looked up to see silver jets streak across stunning skies of blue.

I have known over forty presidents. I have unfurled my pride on sailing ships, steamers and mighty vessels of armed power to bring peace and freedom to oppressed people of the world. I have traveled far — farther than any other flag in history. Across continents, oceans, deserts and on the chilly snow-white tip of a mighty Saturn with its blazing engines until I stood proudly to soar through the silent seas of space and stand on the gray surface of the shinning moon.

I have lived long and traveled far. I have seen much. I have heard a lot. Now listen to me — I have earned the right to be heard.

I was in the hand of my first president in the blood and snow of Valley Forge. I was there when this little nation was born, small, with the wilderness at her back; seas at her side and not a single friendly neighbor to whom she, as a struggling infant, could call for help in distress. I saw the child survive and grow strong to belch smoke from steel furnaces and to break virgin prairie until wastelands were blanketed by fields of ripening grain. I flew on to ride from steel girders topping out skyscrapers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

I have earned the right to speak. The price paid for my freedom of speech is a price few remember or can comprehend. Most forget, but I still see in my memory those bright, beautiful young men who died for me at Pork Chop Hill, Verdun, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, the Coral Sea, Okinawa, Corregidor and the Asian jungles half a world away ... where some bones have not yet been found, but they are there. And when they died for me, I wrapped them in my love and draped my honor over their caskets in tropics, deserts and seas.

Those who died for my right to speak in freedom are buried in Flanders Field of France, the Punchbowl in Hawaii, in the outskirts of Manila, the Philippines and in many other places under the sun as well as under the sea. Never forgetting this, I rise every morning to watch, hour after hour, over the graves of our finest men whose years were short, but whose service was longer than we can ever measure.

Yes, I, the American Flag, have lived long, traveled far and endured much. A million lives and more were sacrificed to give me the right to speak.

So now I break my long silence, and I shall speak. LISTEN!

I shall speak about my land ... Yesterday, today and tomorrow ... her tragedy and her triumph ... her sins, her shames and her glory.

I shall speak about my world, for my heart weeps for all nations, all men and women and little children of every race, creed and color.

I, the American Flag, now speak!

I say, be proud of your country! There is so much about her that is beautiful, compassionate, tender, powerful, yet gentle. I have listened to her children. I see them every day; little ones and older ones, by the millions pledge their allegiance to me in their schoolrooms. I heard them recite in accents of the south, the east and the west,

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Oh, I looked into their faces — the Brownies, Cub Scouts and Boy Scout meetings from east to west and north to south; in Little Leagues, Pony Leagues, the Minor leagues ... yes, and to the Major Leagues where tens of thousands rise with respect as I make my gallant entrance to the singing of the "Star Spangled Banner."

Yes, I’ve been stained, torn, spit upon, burned and defiled by detractors for two hundred years. Still ...

I’m proud of the country that I fly over ... its schools, its courts of law, its assembly halls where laws are passed. I am proud of my country; the managers, laborers, firemen, policemen my Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force ... all dedicated to the dignity of our human beings.

I, the AMERICAN FLAG, will speak — LISTEN!

I am proud of my country. Yes, in spite of all her sins, and there are many — in spite of her shame, and it is made conspicuous — America is not without a source of pride, even today. Show me any other country that is stainless, shameless, spotless or sinless over whose people I could fly with greater honor. I am proud to fly over my imperfect America. I know of no other people who have been swifter to unselfishly borrow and spend billions of dollars sailing strange seas, soaring through unfamiliar skies, to rescue beleaguered, besieged people with skin colors, facial features, languages and foreign religions that seem really odd to the kids from Peoria, Illinois and Sioux City, Iowa. But their hearts never noticed the differences for the young GIs saw them only as oppressed, tortured, hurting fellow human beings crying for help!

So, our crew cut American soldiers, with pluck, ploughed on through the mud, leaving a trail of their own blood as they liberated people they had never seen before and would never see again. And along the way, they found time to deliver babies from primitive mothers and pass out chewing gum to children.

And with the peace, they simply went home to Mom baking apple pie, asking no thanks and expecting no monuments, surely never aiming to conquer territory or build a world empire or to exploit the wealth and riches of these countries!

For over two hundred years, I, the American Flag, have been packed in trunks and suitcases of doctors, missionaries, clergymen, teachers, educators, and agriculturists. Together we have traveled to China, India, Africa, Japan, and the uttermost parts of the earth just to share the better life that we were enjoying in America. Here these ambassadors of good will, built institutions and dug wells, established hospitals and taught people about sewers and sanitation.

Americans, be proud of our country!

For no country knows greater freedom, under law, than my country — the United States of America.

Freedom to each man, woman and child, to choose his or her life’s work — be it a doctor, lawyer, astronaut, truck driver, farmer, or plumber. You have the freedom to choose.

Freedom to travel from state to state without armed guards at the borders demanding to see the passports.

Freedom to try anything — and succeed or fail.

Freedom to fail and not be cast in prison because you failed.

Freedom to speak, write, praise, question or criticize anyone, including the president of the United States. No matter how high his station or rank and not fear a wiretap on the telephone or a knock at the door at night.

Freedom! Freedom to save and build a fortune — even to become wealthy.

Freedom to give your fortune all away at the end of your life ... to your family, your church or to your charity.

Freedom to worship or not to worship ... as your heart and mind dictate.

Yes! I am the American Flag, proud of the opportunities in my country.

Freedom to borrow and build, to buy and sell, to make an honest profit in return for real service and product sincerely and honestly offered.

Freedom to start your own business and become a capitalist, to create dignified job opportunities for people who want to know the joy and pride of honestly working for a living. Where the pride of earnership is even more important than the pride of ownership. That is America.

I’m proud of the harvest of our land — the corn, the wheat, the cotton, the apples, the nuts, the cherries, the oranges and the pineapples. I see the harvest of the fifty states and I am proud that more than once we have helped feed the hungry around the world. Let’s be proud of our country.

Look at the fruit of her hand, for out of her factories, laboratories and research centers an endless creation of new products flows forth:

wonder drugs and vaccines to destroy forever ancient plagues that for centuries killed children and struck terror in human hearts are gone. It happened in America.
tools to handle any task — to reach the moon ... to move mountains ... or to penetrate and photograph the inside of the human heart ... or to decipher DNA.
Tools made of iron, plastic, diamonds, glass, laser beams, and tools made out of light.
I’m proud of my country and I say, be proud to be an American.



Be PROUD ... be confident ... be bold!

You in America can do anything you want to!

You can climb any mountain!

Possibilities, they are unlimited!

Except as you limit them with a cynical, bitter, negative attitudes. Yes, when you see me flying in the legislative halls, schools, courtrooms and churches, listen to the rustle of my stars and stripes as I cry out to every boy and girl, ever man and woman — Dream a beautiful dream. Dare to believe in yourself! You can make it in America!

I am the American Flag. I have a second word for you. BE HUMBLE!

Look not at the sins that still remain and settle for nothing less than to make a commitment to what you can do, where you are, with what you have to clean up the sins and the shame. I do not need to tell you what your sins are. DEEP DOWN IN YOUR HEART, you know it!

Be humble enough to know where your glory and greatness came from.

"Old Glory," I am called. My glory is the freedom that I give to every law-respecting man, woman and child.

But mark this ... and mark it well!

FREEDOM DEPENDS

ON MORALITY.



The Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Word of God have been the foundation stones of the time-tested morality in this country. Remove these foundations and suffer future shock that you did not imagine, loss of liberty, loss of freedom.

If my people depart from the virtues and values inherited from God, they will see their freedom fading.

Be humble. The high cost of freedom is a commitment to the values and the virtues that God has taught us in the Holy Bible and in other spiritual books.

Be humble! Know that without God, my stars will be clouded over, my stripes will fade, my glory will depart, and your freedoms will erode and die.

Today I challenge all who live under my stars and stripes to come back to where you came from.

I AM THE AMERICAN FLAG.

I am YOUR flag.

I am the flag of freedom, offering more peace and prosperity.

I live in the hearts of all people who hunger for freedom to laugh, to love, to pray, to play, to marry and have children.

For over two centuries I called out,

"Come to my shores all who are tired, poor, oppressed, and yearning to be free. Come and I’ll be your guarantee of liberty."

I don’t hear a lot of you saying that anymore ... that concerns me.

I, the American Flag, say to my people

BE PROUD!

BE HUMBLE! ... and my last word today.
BE RENEWED!

Yes, renew your faith in God.

Renew your pledge to follow His Holy Word.

Only two hundred years ago my people were a motley group of foreigners. They did not even speak the same language. Somehow they managed to overcome deeply imbedded nationalistic prejudices, hostilities and differences to pull together. It was, I say, a miracle of God.

Hardly had this young nation achieved nationhood when the bowels of this land were torn and ripped in a ghastly civil war — neighbor against neighbor — father against son.

But my country survived! Covered wagons gave way to railroads, and railroads to airplanes. Again war came and depression ... soup lines ... suicides. Yet, somehow, a deep faith surged from the depth of my country’s soul and America survived!

Then came another war — and another — and still another. I count four in a period of only six decades in the 19th century. Still the country survived it all!

How did this country survive? Why? Listen to me! What kept this tough, young giant standing on her wounded feet through these invincible two hundred years? Where did the courage come from? Where did the faith come from? Where did the American perseverance and endurance come from?

Say what you will, you cannot explain the courage, the faith or the toughness of this country without taking into account her churches, her temples, her holy books. Oh, more than we know, the explanation of our national strength and spirit is found in the words of the One who is teaching many in this nation reverence and respect. His name is Jesus Christ.

It’s easy for people to believe in God when there is a war on, but I’ve seen it hard for some people to be generous and unselfish and caring when they are living in peace and prosperity.

Yes, the high price of freedom is faith in God.

I ask you, are you part of my country’s problem? Become a part of my country’s solution!

Be proud. Be humble. Be renewed.

I have a prayer. Listen to it:

"Our fathers’ God to Thee, author of liberty, to Thee we sing.

Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light.

Protect us by Thy might, great God, our King."

I have a dream — oh, I am the dreamer of great dreams. I am the flag of the Dreamer of great dreams. Over the next 100 years, I see this unquenchable, indestructible, imperishable Spirit of Human Freedom. I see it spreading to every nation in the world. I dream of new airports, new doors opening, old walls fading and falling, old political narrow-minded ideologies turning to dust.

I see selfishness turning to unselfishness. And we will sing:

"Not for this land alone, but be God’s mercies shown, from shore to shore. And may the nation see, that we would good friends be, and form one family the whole world over."

Many a morning I recall rising at dawning to hear the trumpeter in camps arouse the slumbering to a new day with the sounds of reveille.

I see a new day.

I see a new America for the new century!

I see little children, teenagers, young people who haven’t been in religion coming back to the root.

I see adults who have been drifting into heathenistic secularism and agnosticism coming back.

You heard me speak. Now take a good look at my face.

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© Copyright Hour of Power 2007. This message was delivered by Robert H. Schuller from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral and aired on the Hour of Power July 1, 2007.

https://www.hourofpower.ca/read_messages_detail.cfm?ArticleID=5470 <--link to web site.