Growing up, I was not allowed to say the pledge of allegiance. As deeply devout Christians, the idea was that our allegiance belonged to God alone — not to a flag, not to a country. Indeed, we often referred to ourselves as strangers and pilgrims, just traveling through this broken world to our true destination: Heaven. Ironically, that mindset from my childhood has given me, as an adult, an even greater appreciation for America. READ MORE OF MY COLUMN, HERE!