Confession: I am a bit of a pyromaniac ... at least about fireworks. It will be the first year I can recall when I did not participate in fireworks in some manner. Here, it has always been watching the show at the Palm Desert Civic Center. But in my Sacramento days, my self-produced shows were the talk of the neighborhood.
We have great cause to pause. Events of 2020 have shown a bright light rather different from fireworks. A bright light shines upon our nation's unmet potential in multiple ways.
July 4th is a "Feast Day" on the calendar of the Episcopal Church, meaning a day of special devotion that calls us to intentional prayers of thanksgiving and petition. The designation of today as a Feast Day reminds us all to do our part in our time to bring our founders' best intentions to perfection.
"The Lord your God ... executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God; him alone you shall worship; ... he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things."
Here is good inspiration for our prayers of special intention.
