HOPE - An Independence Day Message

Hope
An Independence Day Message

With the 4th of July weekend coming up, I was thinking about how privileged and blessed we are as Americans. I was particularly focusing on the legacy of hope and the tradition of actions to support our hope in this country. This legacy began with the first settlers, who came here with great hope for freedom from tyranny, religious persecution, unfair taxation, famine and civil unrest in their countries of origin.

This was no ordinary mix of individuals. There were religious zealots, atheists, opportunists, criminals escaping jail or worse from judicial systems in Europe and beyond. The migration over the next few decades included people of every skin color, every religion and every political persuasion. They heard of this new land and sought it out as an opportunity to improve their prospect for a productive and successful life.

The most extraordinary part of this story of faith and courage is that almost none of these people had any idea what their new life would be like. Some had a little money and a few possessions, but many were counting on finding land, staking a claim and settling in a place yet to be determined. Many were bound over as servants to the more fortunate so that they could earn land and/or freedom by finishing a term of servitude.

In the beginning, they were bound to each other by the ties of survival. None would survive without the cooperation and support of the people in the small villages that they raised. They were largely unprepared for the severe winters on the East Coast, short of provisions and food and ignorant of what the land would yield and the culture of the Native Americans, who they desperately needed for guidance and instruction in this new environment. Many died. Infant mortality was poor and disease was a force to be feared. Through all of this hope survived, God remained faithful and prayers of renewal were answered a hundredfold.

It would be hypocritical to say that this is a story without moral dilemma or human consequence. The treatment of the American Indian and the ensuing genocide of generations of Natives and their culture was both deplorable and immoral. The advent of slavery and its long practice is such a monumental and collective shame that this country may never be free of the social and psychological damage. Wars, both righteous and unrighteous, have taken a huge toll on our generations and the heart of the nation.

Americans are still struggling with the boundaries of true freedom and what that means to the individual, to the family and to the nation. That is why we still suffer from political and civil unrest, prejudice, disease and poverty. There is irony in the fact that through the American Court system, our quest for religious freedom and particularly the right to glorify God without the interference of government has come full circle to restrict our ability to proclaim and display our faith in public. Wasn’t that part of the point in the first place? I believe that it was. I believe that this applies to all persuasions of faith.

However, we have historical knowledge that the blood shed for our flag and our national sense of morality will continue to support the ideals that the generations before us envisioned. We believe in large part that our government will always respect and revere the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which ensure our hope for the future. We mourn collectively all of the circumstances that undermine the core of our system of freedom and justice and we celebrate in jubilation the past that has made our future possible. We honor those who died for this country and those who are still making the greatest of sacrifices to defend our shores and our people.

No, I haven’t mixed up my history. I know the difference between the Declaration of Independence, the drafting of the Constitution and the impact of historical events on our nation. To me, they are inextricably melded ingredients of a recipe still in progress. Won’t it be wonderful when the cake is baked and iced; when all of the words are reality?

God has blessed us. We have resources, infrastructure, opportunity, support and shelter from storms. Acknowledging this, we have a responsibility to God, to our families and to our neighbors to exercise our freedom with great care and utmost respect for those who share it with us. Freedom is nothing if there is no one to share it with. The Declaration of Independence is an implied guide for the application of personal responsibility to our selves and to others. It is, for most Americans, the single most important document in history aside from the Bible. Celebrate our history with thoughtfulness, look forward to our future with a sense of the same hope that our early settlers had and remember that throughout all of this, Americans had fun too!

God Bless and Keep You this Independence Day! Dare to Hope each and every day; you have the most reason to hope of any culture on earth. Always take action on your dreams and support the dreams of others.

Paula