Reflecting on our country this Independence Day

“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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...”

With these words, the Founding Fathers were well on their way to establishing a new nation, the likes of which the world had never seen before.

Happy Independence Day (soon)! A lot of store advertisements and event listings say “Fourth of July” rather than “Independence Day.” I’m not opposed to “Fourth of July,” as I think it’s just become a nickname; however, I just hope people know what it stands for.

Recently I watched a video that gave me reason to be a little less hopeful. You’ve probably seen such a video — it was one of those where a person wanders around a big city like New York and asks people basic questions about our country, history and geography, or just facts the average citizen should know. Here’s some of the questions/prompts: Name one of the Founding Fathers. Name the countries bordering the United States. How many stars are on the American flag? What year was our country founded? Who were the two sides in the Civil War? Nothing crazy. And yet person after person was totally dumbfounded by these simple questions.

I always view these videos with a bit of skepticism because I question if they are staged. For the sake of our country’s future I hope they are staged, as how can our country long endure if the majority of citizens don’t have even a baseline understanding of who we are as a nation and where we came from? If at least a few people had been able to answer correctly, maybe I would have felt better. It reminds me of the verse, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). The cliché “those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it” also fits.

I see a few practical takeaways even from a goofy video like this.

One, if you are a parent, it’s imperative that you take an active role in your child’s education. Don’t assume that they are learning certain things; ask them and find out. This is not a knock on our school system or teachers, by the way. All I’m saying is that parents are the primary educators of their children and ultimately the responsibility falls back on them.

Know what your kids are learning in school and show an interest. Make sure they learn the basics of American history and what is so unique and special about this nation founded by “we the people” 247 years ago. If you can, take a road trip to the nation’s capital and see the monuments there. Or for someplace in our own backyard, visit The Highground and talk about the sacrifices made so we can continue to be free. It’s important for future generations to know. If you don’t know as much about American history as you like, maybe this would be a chance to learn together.

Second, when it comes to debating public policy issues, don’t assume everyone is coming from the same starting place you are. If the person you’re talking with doesn’t share an understanding of our nation’s history and the values it was built upon, the two of you will likely arrive at different conclusions. By “the values it was built upon,” I mean Judeo-Christian values, and ideals like individual liberty and equal treatment under the law, ideals that our country has more fully realized over time as we have endeavored to “form a more perfect Union.”

Third, take an active role in your government by voting and being informed on the issues, to a healthy degree.

Finally, we can tend to be doom and gloom about the future of our country, but we have to remember there’s always hope. There are a lot of people out there who want to help each other and make the world a better place, when it comes down to it. I think of a somewhat silly story I read the other day. For his 100th birthday, a gentleman in San Jose, Calif., had one request — to get to pet some dogs, as he is a pet lover. At first, it was just going to be a few family members and friends that brought their dogs, but then his daughter put out a post on a community Facebook page and it was widely shared.

This gentleman had 200 dog owners turn up with their dogs for him to say “hi” to that day. The line of pet owners stretched around the block, as the dog owners patiently waited their turn.

The people who showed up weren’t getting anything in return other than the satisfaction of making someone smile. They did something nice because they could. Stories like that restore my hope in humanity. There are people who will do something kind just to brighten another’s day. When you see people rally together to clean up after a storm, or donate money to support a cancer patient or wounded warrior, or lift up someone in need, those are the times when America is at her best.

A couple of final thoughts – the Founders were willing to sacrifice for the cause of freedom, and many of them did, whether it was the loss of property, finances, family members or their very lives fighting in the Revolutionary War. Many didn’t live to see the full development of their republic. They willingly pledged their “Lives,” “Fortunes” and “sacred Honor.” Freedom is never a granted thing. It has to be fought for and defended. We should honor the brave men and women today who are willing to fight for freedom on our behalf.

The Founders also recognized that they were forming this nation under the watchful eye of God and asked for His blessing on the nation. They wrote, “With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” We would do well to follow their example and recognize our nation’s desperate need for God’s mercy and protection. May God bless America.

Striking a

Chord...