God has blessed our nation in many incredible ways. I believe this is in part because of the principles on which our nation was founded.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, let's take a moment to remember just what we are celebrating. July 4, 1776 is the day that our Congress declared its independence from Great Britain. At the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, we read that our founding fathers recognized that it is "self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
Our nation declared its independence because Great Britain was not granting these rights to our citizens; nor was it allowing our nation to preserve, protect or practice these rights.
If we hope to continue receiving God's blessing on our nation, I believe there are many things we need to change about how we conduct ourselves in our everyday lives.
In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks of separating "the nations." He calls to Himself and blesses the nations that cared for the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, those that are in need of clothing, the sick and those that are in prison.
I believe that attending to the people Jesus described is preserving, protecting and allowing people to pursue those same "unalienable rights" mentioned by our forefathers.
I am privileged to be a chaplain with the Department of Veterans Affairs. At VA, our mission is carefully defined that we serve veterans, and, to some extent, their families. We have hospitals and clinics that care for the sick; we have homeless programs that provide clothing and shelter; we have programs to help reintegrate veterans back into society when they return from war; and we even have programs to help our veterans that have been in prison. VA helps support life and liberty and we try to give our veterans the ability to pursue happiness.
There are other federal programs that offer many of the same opportunities to men and women who are not veterans, but if we want to find favor in the sight of God, it is essential that we recognize that our nation is not made up of programs and organizations - it is made up of individual people; people like you and me - and it is our responsibility to help care for those in need.
We must take care of each other.
The Christian faith teaches all men and women are image-bearers of God, and as such, worthy of respect and honor. It also teaches us that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
You do not have to be a Christian or believe in the Bible to know how much better our nation would be if we would incorporate these teachings into our lives.
On the week of Fourth of July, I encourage you to give thanks to God for the blessings He has given to our country, to ask His blessing upon the men and women who protect our freedoms, and to pray He will continue to be gracious to us.
I also encourage you to find ways you can care for those that are in need.
Remember the words of Jesus, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
--------
Editor's Note: This is a regular series featuring area religious leaders writing about faith, family and community. To participate or suggest a church, contact us at news@darnews.com or 573-785-1414.