Let Freedom Reign

Happy 4th of July!

When last we spoke I indicated that today we’ll share some time together discussing ‘We The People’.

We’ll look at why 246 years ago at least one of the nation’s Founding Fathers felt assured the day would and should be celebrated.

Together we’ll also examine what ‘being deeply rooted in U.S. history’ may mean for our future and what needs to be considered if you truly want God (to) Bless America Again, all that and more is what we are observing here along our shared path, we call “Becoming Today”. 

 On this day in 1776, what many around the globe viewed as an unprecedented brazen act reserved its place in history. The Declaration of Independence  sought to address numerous concerns by citizens in the then called American colonies, after earlier attempts to seek answers and representation within their governmental structure went unanswered or refused.

Tired of having to cross the ocean in a life threatening month-long voyage to have their voices  heard, 56 men, including one of my direct ancestors, gathered in Philadelphia where a five-man committee was appointed to draft a formal statement justifying a break with Great Britain.

Often Thomas Jefferson is given all the credit but he was joined by four others, two well known, and two you’ll probably have to Google.

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston worked along with Jefferson to craft the living legacy that begins with an extremely definitive paragraph:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

They did so after exhausting all other alternatives. Did so without misinformation campaigns, without weapons and no physical structures were attacked nor were any individuals threatened with violence against them or their family members.

The second paragraph of their declaration, perhaps the most bold and often quoted and misquoted reads, 

“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.”

A lofty pursuit. A fierce belief and one I am concerned we are closer to losing the vision of more now than ever. More on that later, first back to the celebration.

The day before the Declaration was published on this day 246 years ago, and five days before it was first read in public ( July 8th, 1776), prior to many becoming aware of its intent, one of those five men, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife.

Adams penned these words to his beloved Abigail,

“I am apt to believe (this day) will be celebrated by succeeding generations, as the great Anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever”.

While he had ideas about how he thought the day should be celebrated, much of what we see today, he never envisioned.

While certainly technology has brought some of those changes like ‘flash sales’ not even the red, white and blue bunting adorning those palaces of ‘retail recreation destinations’ or sites for ‘retail therapy’ were present at the writing of Adams letter. 

It would be almost 12-months later before what was becoming our nation adopted its first flag and just shy of three weeks after that when the first anniversary was publicly celebrated on July 4, 1777. That’s when Philadelphia marked Independence Day by adjourning Congress and “celebrating with bonfires, bells and fireworks”. 

Certainly aligned with Adams beliefs shared with his wife and I’m not certain when our focus was shifted from the birth of liberty to must travel road trips and backgrounds for political fundraising. 

Nevertheless, Adams’ connection with the Declaration should be remembered. Not only did he help write it, and have ideas about how to celebrate it, on the 50th anniversary he and fellow co-author Thomas Jefferson both passed away. Within five hours of one another, on July 4, 1826.  

In the time in between both men had become the nation’s second and third Presidents. Each  despite their own flaws remaining loyal to that second paragraph:

“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.”

Both men indeed stepped forward into the light to serve and lead a fledgling nation and thus becoming ‘deeply rooted in American history’. Though neither was perfect and as we are seeing a minority opinion usurp the majority will of the average American citizen, that phrase ‘deeply rooted in American history’, is becoming used to justify restricting rights and outlawing choices.

I’m not going to argue specific cases today, however like our forefathers I have had enough with the abuse of power, the unwillingness for so-called leaders to listen and the lack of representation that is ruling the game of politics that has replaced the concept of  public servants leading with integrity and character for the good of the whole. 

After all, the defining document that followed the Declaration of Independence, was made on behalf of not just five men, or 56 who signed it, rather it was for the benefit of all Americans then and now.

Those five pages of parchment are at the top inscribed with the words , “We the People”.

Not the people who wrote it. Not those perceived as powerful. And while the definitions of “we” and “people” were by no means totally inclusive of all, due to the limited beliefs of the time, though non-unanimous feelings, they were commonly held in law and regulation and helped  to shape the basis of what we later be becoming known as American History. 

Though while referring back again to that ‘second paragraph’ of the Declaration, note the Truth asserted based on the individual’s beliefs that came from the Creator were that all are to be equal and that certain rights granted by God, not government are unable to be taken away from or even given away by the possessor. 

It was on this foundation that we grew to accept the Constitution not to rule over us, but to assist us and help to guide us in defining our community, allowing it to communicate in unity for as the Preamble states, specific purposes and needs:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Drafted to set guidelines for all to exist within based upon principles we are taught from a much Higher Source. To live a life based in Justice,  at Peace, ensuring the needs of our neighbors are met and protected, because in doing so we know will bring blessings to us and generations to come.

While there are a multitude of Scriptures that speak to these issues, I’ll share just a few, after all this is a holiday… ( she says -audibly giggling)…

Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s cause,” while Proverbs 28:5 notes, “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely”.

To remain at Peace, flip or scroll to 1 Peter 3:8,  “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble”.

Concerning ourselves with the welfare of the community dates way back as we read in Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord”. As well as in the Gospel of Mark 12:31, when we are told without exception, “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these”.

Plus in knowing we are honoring the requests of the Creator, he guarantees you and I these blessings as it is written in Acts 20:35, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive”.

Constitutional beliefs brought forward from the Declaration’s call that we are all endowed to “certain inalienable rights”, which while named as “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” are not limited to just those three.

On Saturday I shared that if you were among those of us  who would like to see “God Bless America Again”, that we need to do more than wait for Him to come. We need to re-dedicate ourselves to the effort. 

In prayer and supplication, with humility and obedience, serving our Higher Power first then sharing those principles with others, our nation will benefit. It will receive the blessings we so desire and not because one belief has been legislated.

I am a Jesus Follower. A proud one. However I do not desire nor do I believe that the Lord intends for us to live in a theocracy. 

In the Scriptures is evidence to the idea our forefathers  established in their time of a separation of church and state. 

As Mark reports in 12:17, “Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  The verse then continues how the people received this premise, “And they marveled at Him”.

Governments are of this world. While we live in it, we are directed not to be of it. 

“You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” (Leviticus 20:25 E S V)

In the Gospel of John 8:31-59 it is reported that at the time the Jewish leaders exerted power and control over others by falsely claiming authority based upon positions of leadership as well as a religious system that declared conformity and nationalism over personal faith and a diverse community.  They sought uniformity through coercion and conformity, because they possessed both religious and political power.

In response Jesus is quoted as asserting that true power comes from God’s relationship with humanity, that is unique and diverse, loving and accepting. 

And dating back well before even the time of Jesus on this earth, we were told that even though some will try to present themselves as the only way, the truth seekers, the makers of what is great, we should ignore them. Recalling the words in Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me”. 

These principles are also consistent with many schools of belief. 

The United States was not intended to be a Christian nation. It was established to be a place of peace and prosperity, where the individual has the freedom to choose, express and speak their beliefs, as long as those values and opinions do not infringe upon the rights of others to do the same.

You can not and should not be trying to legislate morality. You should be seeking common understandings and a place where we can speak to one another with civil tongues and listen respectfully filtered by compassion and dignity for one another. 

This is where the heart is able to let its love flow and blessings can rain down in abundance.

I made some assertions last week, for myself at least,while remaining hopeful that more who embrace the principles will step forward and let their light shine and voices be heard.

In My Declaration of Independence I assert:

“Therefore be it resolved from this moment on, that  we who are traveling along this shared path of “Becoming” commit to taking actions, deliberate and responsible initiatives to do our part to work for the well being of all. 

To support compassion, dignity, respect, mercy and understanding of all individuals regardless of their race, gender, color, creed, demographic or any other way the “dividers” try to profile and categorize us for their purposes of intentional disunity.

We refuse to submit blindly to disrespectful, unhealthy and abusive behaviors, attitudes and policies. 

We choose to pursue a course that enlightens, invokes and advances ‘’the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state”. Coming to be always, “Becoming”. Growing, developing and shifting into an attitude and daily practice of “Always Being Becoming”.

In good conscience I can no longer sit idly by nor remain silent. Understanding that I am not alone in my growing discontentment with the status quo and not wanting to continue being a victim of abusive and tyrannical wannabes.

Therefore be it resolved from this moment on, that we who are traveling along this shared path of “Becoming” commit to taking actions, deliberate and responsible initiatives to do our part to work for the well being of all.”

I want We the People to see God Bless America Again.

I desire to see freedom reign over all assaults and manipulations of the Truth. I live to love and express that peace freely as is Divinely ordained. 

I truly hope that we will together celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration,  as a beacon for the world  to see.

However I understand it will take a lot of work. Effort we must all embrace because we have certain responsibilities to guarantee our freedom to receive those inalienable rights and far more that we all deserve and should desire for one another.

I hear many who are tired. I see many who don’t even attempt. I ask you, what if Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and later Washington and Lincoln among many others had succumbed to weariness?

What if they decided their opinion didn’t matter and had let the spirit of giving up, letting someone else worry about it, or allowed succumbing to failure become ‘deeply rooted in U.S. history’?

That’s a world I don’t want to see and pray neither do you.

So be it resolved on this 4th day of July 2022, we the people in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish an atmosphere of Love, Faith, Hope and becoming. That we are all becoming who God intended for us to be.

Let Freedom Reign in our hearts, minds and souls for all to see and receive.

I once again have some words stuck in my head. Three simple words that I can not recall the last time I heard anyone utter in this particular order. 

A simple yet insightful phrase. Fifteen letters separated by two spaces that are so needed right now.

Yes Gigi I hear you asking what are those words? 

Glad you inquired, however that is for tomorrow when we’ll undertake a discussion based upon those valued principles on our next edition of “Becoming Today”.