This morning, I hoisted the stars and bars on the flagpole in front of our home. It’s a small gesture for sure, but deeply heartfelt. Each time I raise the flag I try to remember those that have gone before and the innumerable sacrifices that have led us to this point. Anymore, I not only see it being hoisted, I feel it. Soon this morning Judy and I will be headed into town to watch our small-town Independence Day parade. There will be flags and veterans and patriots of every shape and color, gathered from all walks of life to remember the origins of this grand American experiment. We will see the flags hoisted, and we will stand with them to remember.
More often than not our family Independence Day celebrations are a great deal of fun. Barbeque, corn-on the cob, watermelon, games, lots of laughter, and the perennial fireworks display, but truthfully, in all of the fun the import of the day often has gotten lost. But this year seems different to me. There seems to be a weight coinciding with the celebration. It’s as if I’ve awakened from a dream only to realize the dreamt of dangers are still lurking in the distance. Rather than celebrate I find my initial reactions are both alarm and imploring God for mercy. To quote Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother, Where Art Thou? “We’re in a tight spot.” And anyone who watched last week’s Presidential debates will know we’ve got rough water ahead.
The question has crossed my mind, what will happen with this grand experiment we call America? Will freedom and liberty still be our watchwords? Both within and without there are plenty that deign to harm us. Will we have the courage, fortitude, and gathered will to defend her from enemies foreign and domestic? What America will our children and grandchildren inherit? Will they know the freedoms we have known? In case you are wondering, handwringing and tut-tutting are not an option.
In an article for The Constitution Center, Richard Beeman writes this,
There is a story, often told, that upon exiting the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: "A republic, if you can keep it." The brevity of that response should not cause us to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people, they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health.[1]
While at times it may seem hopeless, the success of this American experiment requires an informed and active citizenry, and part of our enlistment as citizens is to pray like our very lives depend upon it. Perhaps in the end God will show mercy and give us cause again for great celebration.
-DJM
Independence Day 2024
[1] https://constitutioncenter.org/education/classroom-resource-library/classroom/perspectives-on-the-constitution-a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it#:~:text=His%20answer%20was%3A%20%22A%20republic,of%20the%20people%20for%20their
