St. Luke's office will be closed on Monday in observance of the holiday. We'll be back to usual business hours on Tuesday, July 5.

Have a great weekend!

Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash

I’ve loved Independence Day for as I can remember. It’s great to have a day outside of the usual routine to reconnect with family and friends, but—most importantly—it’s the one day of the year when I’m essentially required to get together with others, stay up late, and watch fireworks. I mean, dark skies, bright lights, big booms, kids with their glow-in-the-dark toys, and an excited crowd—what’s not to love? Fourth-of-July fireworks never fail to leave me feeling joyful and buoyant.

 

In recent years, I’ve found myself less comfortable with patriotic celebrations than I used to be. As political division has increased, as American values and actions seem to be less noble than they once were and more self-serving, I’ve found myself more conflicted about such things than I once was. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not anti-America by any stretch. Instead, the course of history in recent years leaves me wondering about the story of American exceptionalism that we like to tell. I’m concerned about the future of our country when our law seems to be increasingly controlled by a minority which is growing in extremism.

 

I don’t like that I wonder about these things—not at all—because, when America is at her best, we are, as Jesus called his disciples to be, a city on a hill and a light to the world. By beginning this great American experiment, our forebears “won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn” (Collect for Independence Day, BCP p 242).

 

When we are at our best, we are a godly nation. Not because we established any particular religion or insisted upon some specific creed, but because we are living out the values of God: We care for the poor and the marginalized. We uphold the widow and orphan. We offer help to those in need. We care for creation. We stand for freedom from tyranny and freedom to serve. We respect the dignity of every human being. We remember always God’s deep love for every single person, all the time, no matter what.

 

We’ve been traveling a rocky road for some years now. Political polarization, mass shootings, a global pandemic, and so much more, have left us weary and longing for justice and for rest. Our present challenges won’t be erased by a good fireworks display, but such a celebration can rekindle the fire of our hope.

 

As Christians and as Americans, we stand for God’s values: liberty, justice, fundamental human equality, our divine endowment with unalienable rights, our care and respect for the least among us. This Independence Day, as we celebrate our nation’s beginning, let us also recommit ourselves to the divine values which make us who we are.

 

Blessings on your celebration!

 

Yours in Christ,

Justin

Photo by Serge van Neck on Unsplash

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