Fourth of July, cont’d

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a people to establish its liberty from tyranny, it becomes necessary for that people to declare the causes which impel them to take such initiative. For us, that meant the formation and adoption of the Declaration of Independence, (from which those words were taken), the Constitution and the Bill of (certain unalienable) Rights which were endowed on us by our Creator with, among other things, life, the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity, and the pursuit of happiness. As American citizens, it is not only a privilege, but a civic responsibility – the duty of being a responsible citizen – to become informed and participate in our liberties; government of, by, and for the people.


Also in the course of human events, it became necessary for our Creator to endow us with an even deeper unalienable birthright. As citizens of God’s kingdom, our liberty over the tyranny of our own self-imposed alienation from our Creator God was bought at the high cost of Jesus’ blood. It is equally not only a privilege, but the duty of being a responsible citizen of God’s kingdom on this earth to offer the precious gift of those liberties – healing, peace, sacramental grace, proclaiming by word and example the good news of God in Christ – not only for our own sake, but for the sake of our posterity.

Marc +