Independence Day

Independence Day

Nope! Not the 1996 movie portraying the alien takeover of America on the Fourth of July. The Independence Day I am talking about occurred two hundred and forty-one years ago. It was the day that the founders of our country signed the Declaration of Independence that set-in motion the birth of our nation.

In part, this document reads: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The ink was hardly dry on that piece of parchment when the reality of what it would take to sustain such goals became the reality of the Revolutionary War. Any student of history will bear witness to the elasticity of our country as generation after generation endeavored to live up to these ideals. How easy it is to forget the cost of our freedom.

There is no doubt that we, like previous generations of Americans, are living in difficult times. The social, economic, political and cultural fabric of our country seems at times to be at a breaking point. Again, the ideals of the founding fathers have been tested and found worthy of our sacrifice. Yes, we can and yes, we will persevere!

These words from the Book of Proverbs encourage us: “When the country is in chaos, everybody has a plan to fix it, but it takes a leader of real understanding to straighten things out.”

On this national holiday, can we stop and pray that God will give wisdom to our governmental leaders who are charged with the responsibility to ensure our Rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?