♪A Note of Thanks ♪
I Love America, Land of the Free, Home of the Brave
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5: 1a; 13-14 (NIV)
When I begin to think of the many things I hold dear, I can’t help but thank God for the freedom we hold as Americans, to live in this great land of ours, to think of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that we can experience this freedom.
In the last week of September, 2007, I drove my parents up to McLean, Virginia, to visit my sister and brother-in-law, who were living there at the time. Our first night there, we drove into DC to see our nation’s capital all lit up at night. We stopped and got out at the Lincoln Memorial, drove by the Washington Memorial, Smithsonian buildings, Supreme Court building and the White House, but the most moving to my father was the new World War II memorial. My Dad, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, had heard and read about the memorial, but was so awestruck when we went to the Alabama portion. Everyone there was quiet, reading names on the monument, taking pictures and remembering. I could just imagine my Dad on the boat crossing the English Channel, going onto the beaches of Normandy, with the Army Engineers that built the bridges so that after the initial bombings and invasion, they could get the heavy equipment to come behind the foot soldiers. It’s very hard for me to imagine the hardships and dangers they faced. Yet, as I have heard bits and pieces from my Dad over the years, I have come to realize just what our soldiers sacrificed for our freedom. Dad, being such a quiet man, holds most of his thoughts inside and rarely will he discuss or mention ‘The War.’ These men and women, the greatest generation that has ever lived, secured our freedom. We have much to be thankful for on this, our nation’s birthday, Independence Day, July, 4th, 2010.
The mere mention of the Fourth of July evokes colorful images: Fireworks, backyard barbecues, baseball, and the stars and stripes waving overhead. Of course, there is a great deal more behind our celebration of Independence Day. Perhaps you recall the passionate words of Patrick Henry, spoken in a church in Richmond: “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.” Or maybe you focus on the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence adopted in Philadelphia: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are powerful words that pulsate through the veins of all Americans who cherish their freedom.
On this weekend when our nation focuses the spotlight on freedom – how it made this nation great and how it made us a beacon of hope for the world – it is essential for people of faith to remember that the idea of freedom is much older than our nation. In fact, it may be that planted within every human being, is a yearning for freedom. In the same way that we have restlessness within us until we find God, and in the same way that we instinctively recoil in the face of injustice, every person may be born with an innate desire for freedom. When Jesus launched his ministry, he declared that the words of the prophet Isaiah defined his mission. He announced that God had sent him to “proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free.” (Luke 4:18)
My Country Tis of Thee
Our father’s God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!
-words by Samuel Francis Smith
Thank you Father, for the freedom we have, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
As we serve along-side each other. I remain, your friend, Mark David Jackson
