AKMA coined this phrase at Ekklesia, and uses it in description of the “holy day” type qaulity of national holidays and observances (Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Sept. 11 henceforth since 2001) those three are what come to my mind as I read and hear about Sacramerica.
In the name of realism, in the name of deference to honoring those who bear the effects of war (effects that our everyday language reveals that we regard as a sacrifice9), strident voices demand that Christians profess their loyalty to a national ensign, and observe the festivals that the government establishes as though they were feasts of holy martyrs. The combined interests and sensitivities – often innocent, often commendable – of state power, of patriotic citizens, of injured families, and of corporate advantage converge in an ambiance I will call Sacramerica. In Sacramerica, the national pride of the United States blossoms into a displaced messianic hope that subordinates the God of the Decalogue to the sentimental consolations and pragmatic policy interests of a vast congregation of baseball fans, apple-pie eaters, and fireworks admirers.
a “displaced messianic hope” also captures my sense of these festivals of honor
