Today I seem to lack the usual spark I often feel on the 4th of July. Certainly, I still feel an historic gratitude for those who built our nation, but this year I also feel some weighty concern.
I’m thankful to live in a country built on bold ideals like liberty and justice, but I can’t help noticing how far we’re drifting from the kind of neighborly love and personal humility those ideals require.
Somewhere along the way, displaying our flags and fireworks have started to mean more than displaying our kindness and character.
But, I’m not without hope—I just don’t put my hope in the kind that depends on politicians or parties. My hope is in Jesus, who commands his followers to live with grace, truth, and show mercy, no matter what’s happening around them. The hope I have that His Kingdom will prevail. That’s the kind of freedom I can really celebrate – now and for all eternity.
Paul wrote to a troubled group of believers in Philippi, an ancient city in Macedonia, Greece, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
* – (no, “forth” is not a typo!)