The Relationship between Church and State

               This particular religious object was found near Times Square, on the corner of 48^th and 8^th.  It is quite small and inconspicuous, and is placed on the street facing wall of the Fire Department of New York’s Engine 54/Ladder 4/Battalion 9 fire station.  Blocked by construction, people, and different fire emergency vehicles, it is barely noticeable to almost all passersby.  However, it is the only colorful object and/or sign that is placed on that wall.  The plaques surrounding it are a dull, light and dark oxidized bronze color and memorialize different firefighters of this particular engine company.  This sign stands out against the others and takes its place to memorialize and support not just specific people, but to all of those who are a part of the FDNY and those who have died while or after being in the service.

                Composing of two parts, the more noticeable part is comprised of an almost traditional American flag, a symbol that is not unknown to people all around the world.  What separated it from traditional American flags is the inclusion of large white writing on three of the red stripes and the omission of one of the stars of the fifty in the blue field.  The star, which is only left with an outline of the five points, clearly symbolizes those that have passed, whose impact will still be remembered.  The words, written in all capitals, read:

                “FDNY            NYPD”

                “To Honor Our Fallen Heroes”

                “United We Stand”

                The other part of the symbol lies in objects that are less official, less permanent, and more endearing.  There are three paper crosses: one small, one medium, and one large.  Each one is a different color and have pink-red hearts either glued or drawn on both crossbars.  Made of construction paper and colored in with markers, it is very clear that these were made by young children.  From weather and age, the color on these crosses have faded and the paper is warped.  These are no words written on the crosses, so the question as to why they are there is brought up.  They could have been placed there because someone that the makers knew passed away, or they could have been put there as a school project to support the firefighters.

                No matter for what reason that the crosses were tucked behind the sign, it shows support from the public to those who serve the community.  Especially considering the different events of late, police, firefighters, and other public servants are not always considered to be as vital to the community as they truly are in relation to their line of work.  Lending support and kindness to those who work hard and endure a lot for the community means a lot to those who are in need of validation and comfort.  This appreciation increases upon taking note of the fact that this gesture was performed on behalf of children.  To the average adult, children are perceived as innocent and loving.  Being honored and respected by so pure a being is both humbling and motivating.  It is for this reason that the crosses were left up instead of being taken down. 

                In addition to the value that the children gave the crosses, they also hold a weight because there is a direct relationship formed between the crosses and hearts.  Here, there is an obvious connection made between the image of cross and religion, and the images of the hearts with love.  In seeing the crosses, there are no qualms behind seeing these two images together, because the concept of God and Jesus (in the Christian religion) have always been associated with love.  As the infamous quote in John 3:16 reads, “So God so loved the world, he gave up his only Son.”  In taking that quote and applying it to the memorial flag and its location on the firehouse, one can look at the sacrifices made by both the FDNY and NYPD and see them as exhibitions of love for their community and for their country.

                Another prominent American figure that valued self-sacrifice was Dorothy Day.  As one of the creators of the Catholic Worker Movement, Day wanted to live among the poor, huddling masses that needed help as well as revolution.  She believed that this was vital in order to understand, empathize, and truly fight for the cause.  For this, she admired self-sacrifice above all else.  Even when one of her companions and mentor Peter Marin died, she wrote, “The fact was he had been stripped of all… He had stripped himself, but there remained work for God to do. We are to be pruned as the vine is pruned so that it can bear fruit, and this we cannot do ourselves. God did it for him” (274).  By saying this, she seems to respect all that Peter did in the name of self-sacrifice and to understand others.  But above all, she loved God even more for humbling Peter even more so that all that he had was sacrificed.  For her and other religious people, sacrifice is a very prominent show of love.

                In this way, the idea of self-sacrifice can be used to define America.  The United States has been built on many ideals of freedom and economic mobility, but the ideals that are particularly striking from the very beginning is the idea of people working together to achieve a goal, and the extreme nationalism that is inspired by those who embody the “true American spirit.”  Upon joining the FDNY, the newly appointed firefighters have to give an oath:

“I, having been appointed Firefighter in the Fire Department of the City of New York, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of New York, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a member of the Fire Department of the City of New York, according to the Laws, Regulations, and Orders governing the Department, and will obey the orders and directions of my superiors, to the best of my ability.”

In taking this oath, these people promise to both work hard for their country and to stand by all that it stands for.  Like Dorothy Day, these men and women come together to work for the greater good in times of emergency.

                The combination of the flag and the crosses shows not necessarily religion, but evokes love for those who are living to serve the community, and therefore are loving in return.  It shows a sense of more than just paper crosses, as an American flag means more than just a piece of fabric hang on a wall or metal pole.  As Dick Houtman and Birgit Meyer write in their essay “Introduction: Material Religion—How Things Matter” in Things: Religion and the Question of Materiality, “Religion…mobilizes a sense of “beyond” that is impossible to capture fully via any concept or definition (Houtman and Meyer 4)”.  Later, they write, “The point is…to grasp how practices of religious mediation effect the presence of these entities in the world through…material forms (Houtman and Meyer 6)”.  In taking these, it is concluded that the beyond that is described can be encapsulated in the aura around some material things.  This flag and cross combination not only memorializes those that died, represents the love for country and community, and true self-sacrifice that helps define America.

Readings:

·         Day, Dorothy. The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist (Harper One, 1996 [1952]).

·         Houtman, Dick and Birgit Meyer, “Introduction: Material Religion—How Things Matter” in Things: Religion and the Question of Materiality (2012).

·         New York City Department of Investigation, “The FDNY Regulations for the Uniformed Force.” (1997)