IN FAITH
The Cost of True Freedom
Reflections on American Independence Day
How can a people so diverse as Americans, live together in true freedom? It is so easy for us to be divided by so many factors: race, religion, philosophy, socio-economic status, national origins, and…well, you fill in the blank!
At the most basic level, though, we all breathe the same air. We all drink the same water. We all live on the same planet. And we all have dreams or hopes for ourselves and for our families. Our ancestors came here to find freedom. It doesn’t matter whether we came from Europe, Asia, Africa or other continents. Many of our families generations back, experienced tyranny. We came to this country because we wanted to make something of our lives, something more than what we had and what we were.
The other night our family watched the epic motion picture: Gone With The Wind. I remember my mother taking me to see this movie when I was twelve years old. I didn’t want to go, because it was so old. (This was in 1964). The movie was made in 1939 (before special effects, when there was actually character development in movies. And believe it or not, nobody used the word “dude.” And no one lost their car!) It starred so many luminaries from the 1930’s and 40’s: Clark Gable, Olivia DeHavilland, Leslie Howard, and, of course, Vivian Leigh, as Scarlet O’Hara, that firey, manipulative, but never defeated young woman of Irish ancestry, whose family owned their beloved plantation, Tara. There is a scene where her father is reminding her that nothing is more important than the land. And throughout the movie she returns to that land, and holds her family together by hook or by crook!
But there is something more basic than our love for land, whether it be Tara, or even a small lot in Fort Wayne. And that is freedom. Without true freedom, all of the things we hold near and dear can be lost. And there are things much more important than land, such as family, friends, and neighbors. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17, and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29) do an awfully good job of explaining how we need to relate to one another. As this American Independence Day approaches (July 4), please take some time to pray and reflect on your life and the freedoms you enjoy. Remember, according to the Bible, the author of true freedom is God. If we put into place love of God and love of neighbor, this land, which we love so much, the United States of America, will continue to stand. But without this foundation, all that we hold near and dear will crumble.
Happy 4th of July!
God bless the USA!
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