We who have been blessed by living in America owe God our heart felt thanksgiving for the blessings we have received. Asking God’s blessing for our country also means for believers that we are willing to humble ourselves before God and His will and His judgment. We are reminded of St. Maria Skobtsova’s comment written at a time when Fascism was being spread by invasion and war from Germany into her adopted homeland, France. She saw first hand love of country going awry.
There can be no doubt but that love for anything that exists is divided into these two types. One may lustfully love one’s motherland, working to make sure that it develops gloriously and victoriously, overcoming and destroying its enemies. Or one can love it in a Christian manner, working to see that the face of Christ’s truth is revealed more and more clearly within it.
Patriotism, love for one’s country can be a noble good. But patriotism distorted can be reduce it to blind nationalism in which one hopes one’s country will triumph whether it is good and righteous or not. We have had plenty of examples of this in the past 100 years of human history. As Christians, our love for our country means hoping that our government and people might behave in a more Christ like fashion. The first step to accomplish this is to strive to be more Christ like in our own personal lives. Then we begin to determine how by personal example we can show love for our country by loving neighbor as Christ taught us. To love as Christ loved us is also to express a Christian love for our country.
We each should offer thanksgiving to God this 4th of July for all of the ways we have benefitted by living in our country. This doesn’t mean disparaging any other peoples or nations on earth. We have plenty to be thankful for as Americans whatever the good fortunes of other nations may be. If you want to offer a hymn to God as an 
Orthodox Christian in thanksgiving for our country and our freedom to practice our faith without government interference, here is one from the New Skete Monastery: (Tone 2)
For your glory and their happiness, O Lord,
You created all the peoples of the earth,
and with undaunted faith in your perfect goodness,
the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us.
By Your Grace, let us always use our freedom to do Your will,
and through the Theotokos, grant our people lasting peace.
