I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. —I Timothy 2:1-3
In just a few days, we will celebrate the 234 birthday of our country. As we think about the birth of our nation and the challenges facing it on this 234th. anniversary, I feel led to share with you some thoughts I first shared in 2004. In light of the current problems in our nation, these thoughts seem more applicable then in the day they were first written. I hope and pray they will stimulate your thoughts and actions on this Fourth of July.
“On July 4, 1776, there was signed in the City of Philadelphia one of America’s historic documents: the Declaration of Independence. It marked the birth of this nation which, under God, was destined for world leadership.
We often forget that, in declaring independence from an earthly power, our forefathers made a forthright declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The closing words of this document solemnly declare:
‘With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.’
The fifty-six courageous men who signed that document understood that this was not just high-sounding rhetoric. They knew that if they succeeded, the best they could expect would be years of hardship in a struggling new nation. If they lost, they would face a hangman’s noose as traitors.
Of the fifty-six, few were long to survive. Five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes, from Rhode Island to Charleston, sacked, looted, occupied by the enemy, or burned. Two lost their sons in the army. One had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six died in the war, from its hardships or from its bullets.
Whatever ideas you have of the men who met that hot summer in Philadelphia, it is important that we remember certain facts about the men who made this pledge: they were not poor men, or wild-eyed pirates. They were men of means; rich men, most of them, who enjoyed much ease and luxury in their personal lives. Not hungry men, but prosperous men, wealthy landowners, substantially secure in their communities.
But they considered liberty much more important than the security they enjoyed, and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. They fulfilled their pledge. They paid the price. And freedom was born.” (From “What Price Freedom” by Derric Johnson, 1973, Derric Johnson Press and Zondervan Music Publishers).
How easy it is to forget the tremendous price paid by those men and women who established this nation in which you and I live and raise our families. And not only the sacrifice made by those who established this “one nation under God”, but also those throughout the years who have answered the call to defend our freedom all over the world—in France and Germany, in the Philippines and Guam, in Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. The freedom you and I enjoy today—to worship, to build homes and purchase automobiles, to educate our children, to vacation at the beach or in the mountains, is made possible by countless men and women who believed that these United States of America were worth the sacrifice. If you watch television or read the newspapers, you know there are precious few countries in our world today where people enjoy such freedom.
As we celebrate Independence Day 2010, it is important you and I remember and acknowledge the sacrifice of those who have gone before us—to give thanks for their willingness to put their very lives on the line in order to establish and sustain the freedom we enjoy. It is also important we understand that sustaining the freedom we often take for granted remains the responsibility of all of us. Some of our sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, are already taking their place in the armed forces of our nation, and others will follow in their footsteps in the years to come. We need to pray for them and encourage them—they will be the preservers of freedom for the future, and America is worth the sacrifice.
Not all the enemies of freedom come from outside our country. There are those within who pose, some believe, a much greater threat to our freedom than any foreign enemy. I am not thinking about terrorists who have infiltrated our borders, but about those who would use the political process to pervert and subvert the freedoms we enjoy. Defeating these enemies requires the vigilance and sacrifice of each us. In order to preserve our freedom against these individuals and groups, we must stay informed and vote our conscience. So many in our country today do not take seriously the right and responsibility to vote, and their excuses are many and varied—too busy; the issues are so confusing; you can’t believe the politicians. The bottom line is, they do not believe America is worth the sacrifice of time and effort it takes to be informed and to cast their ballots.
Let us, on this July 4, 2010, remember the tremendous sacrifice of those who have gone before us and to affirm anew and afresh our willingness to pray for our nation and to make the sacrifice needed to preserve the freedom we cherish. I believe America is worth the sacrifice and trust you do also.
Love,
