By Phil Gray

In the early hours of September 16, 1814, as smoke from the British bombardment choked the sky over Baltimore Harbor, Francis Scott Key stood on the deck of a ship, his heart pounding with uncertainty.

The night had been long and brutal, filled with cannon fire and exploding shells.

Key’s eyes strained against the darkness, searching for a single symbol that would tell him whether his nation had endured—the American flag, flying over Fort McHenry.

For hours, the battle raged, and as Key waited in the dim light of dawn, a question hung in the air as heavy as the smoke:

Was the flag still there?

When the gray clouds finally parted and the first rays of sunlight touched the stars and stripes still waving above the fort, it was more than a moment of military victory. It symbolized something deeper: the survival of the United States, the resilience of a young nation standing firm in the face of overwhelming odds.

Key’s poem, now our national anthem, captures that spirit of defiance and hope in the face of uncertainty.

Yet, as we sing those familiar words today—“O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”—we must ask ourselves:

Does the flag still wave over a nation that embodies the freedom and bravery it represents? Are we still the land of the free? Are we still the home of the brave?

The Values the Flag Represents

When Key wrote his famous poem, the United States was still a fledgling nation, struggling to define its identity. The flag over Fort McHenry stood for a bold experiment in democracy—a government by the people, for the people. It represented the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice for all.

But ideals, like flags, are easy to raise and hard to maintain. For over 200 years, that flag has waved through wars, civil strife, and social upheaval. It has seen the Civil War, the Great Depression, and two world wars. It has flown over the march for civil rights, the fight for women’s suffrage, and the ongoing struggle for equality. And yet, we’re still left to ask if we’ve truly lived up to the ideals our flag represents.

A Nation at a Crossroads

Today, the United States finds itself at another crossroads. The flag still flies proudly over buildings, parks, and monuments, but the values it stands for seem increasingly under threat. Political divisions run deep, inequality persists, and faith in the government wanes. For many, the promise of “liberty and justice for all” feels distant, as the flag risks becoming a symbol of exclusion rather than inclusion.

Are we still the beacon of freedom we once promised to be? Are we still a country where all people, regardless of race, gender, or class, can truly pursue happiness?

Too often, it feels like we have lost sight of the values the flag was meant to embody. Instead of coming together in times of challenge, we pull apart. Instead of ensuring that all voices are heard, we stifle dissent. Instead of celebrating the diversity that strengthens us, we let fear and division weaken our resolve.

The Ongoing Struggle for Equality

Key’s poem spoke of a nation that survived the night. But for many Americans, the night has not yet ended. The fight for equality is far from over. The flag once waved over a country that permitted slavery, denied women the right to vote, and upheld segregation. It waves now as we grapple with the legacies of racism, sexism, and inequality.

Each generation faces its own reckoning with what the flag represents. In Key’s time, it was the survival of a young nation. In Lincoln’s time, it was the fight to preserve that nation and end slavery. In the 1960s, it was the battle for civil rights. Today, we must confront our own challenge: to ensure that the flag still represents a land where freedom, justice, and opportunity are truly available to all.

The Call to Action

So, what does it mean to ask if the flag still waves? It’s not just a question about whether the physical symbol remains, but whether the ideals it represents still resonate with us. Are we, as a people, willing to continue the fight to ensure those ideals endure? Will we defend the values of freedom and equality, not just for ourselves, but for all?

Now is the time to ask: Will we let the promise of liberty falter under the weight of division and fear? Or will we, like Francis Scott Key in the early hours of dawn, stand firm and search for the light that brings us together?

The flag will only continue to wave if we make it more than a symbol—if we make it a commitment to action. The stars and stripes are not a passive emblem; they are a call to uphold the principles of democracy and justice. The flag waves when we ensure our government remains of the people, by the people, and for the people. It waves when we protect the rights of every individual, when we fight for equality, when we stand brave in the face of challenges.

Conclusion

As the sun rose on that fateful morning in 1814, Francis Scott Key saw the flag still standing and knew his country had survived the night. But the survival of a nation is not a single moment in time. It is an ongoing struggle. Today, more than ever, we must ask ourselves: Will the flag still wave over a land of the free and a home of the brave?

We must ensure the answer is yes—not just by watching it flutter in the breeze, but by living out the values it stands for every day. If we do, then we can say with confidence that the flag still waves not just over Fort McHenry, but over every heart that beats for liberty, justice, and equality.

(Note: Guest author Phil Gray works with the homeless in various ways through the United Methodist Church)