american-flag-eagle_sm-500x300It’s July 4, 2016. Today is a day we’ll gather around grills and pools to celebrate our freedom and independence as a nation. We’ll have parties. We’ll fly old glory. We’ll play yard games. We will have fun with our families. Perhaps you might even stop for a moment to reflect on the men and women who make today possible. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll step back for a minute to give a silent thank you for the brave souls who either have given or are willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom.

Independence day is truly a day of freedoms. Not just freedoms from oppressive rulers and dictatorial leaders but a freedom for something better. Because of the hard work and sacrifice of the service men and women who protect us, we have the freedom for greatness – the freedom to do what we know is right. The freedom to protect the helpless. To shelter those who have no place to live. To love the unlovable in our society. To come alongside one another and stand up against tyranny and injustice. We have been given the freedom to protect the beauty and majesty of this great country. We have the freedom to be different allow others to have their own opinions.

But something has happened to our freedoms. We’ve forgotten the purpose of our freedoms. We have seemingly grown complacent about the work and sacrifice that went into making America the greatest country on earth. We’ve forgotten sacrifice. Instead, we’ve replaced self-sacrifice with self-entitlement. We’ve drilled it into our children that we deserve better. We’ve forgotten the hearts of the men and women who gave up everything to make our safety their number one concern. And we have done it to ourselves! No one else is to blame. We can’t blame terror or radical groups because they are only seizing the opportunities that we have given them.

In our pledge of allegiance we state that we are One Nation, but we act like a faction of nations. We are broken and divided instead of whole and unified. We think and act as if differing opinions make us enemies. One of the greatest things about this country is that we’re able to differ and not be at odds. We don’t have to see eye to eye to be able to respect one another.

This Independence Day perhaps we can put aside our childish finger-pointing and get back to what will make America take it’s place again. Perhaps when we start to put one another before ourselves we’ll begin to see this greatness arise again. It’s a fundamental teaching that actually comes from the bible. I know – we all too often use the bible to thump someone who is different – to beat them down, but the command of Jesus is to love one another – even, especially those who are different.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to a higher standard. You are called to live the teachings he gave us. If you’re not a follower of Jesus, then I can’t rightly hold you to a standard you neither know nor adhere to. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to know it. Just below this paragraph is a song titled freedom. The point of the song is to remind us of a freedom that can’t be taken away by rulers and oppressors. It’s a freedom to comes not because of the actions of many but because of the life of one. There is freedom even in places where earthly freedoms have been removed. It’s a freedom of spirit. It’s a freedom that today is only partially seen but one day will be fully realized. Where God’s Spirit is – there is true freedom.

For now, we put down our fists. We stop this childish arguing and do the one thing we all can do to bring America back to the top again – love our neighbors. Pretty simple stuff but super powerful nonetheless. So today, put down your differences and pick up a beer. It’s independence day after all! Happy 4th everyone. And thank you to the many who keep working so today can be a reality.