Monday, July 4, 2016

A Declaration of Mourning

7/4/16 United States of American Declaration of Independence Anniversary (1776)

240 years ago today the 13 colonies sent out a Declaration of Independence from England that would reshape the world. A Holy God and self-evident truths were the foundation of the recognized most basic rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. It may be interesting to some that the original document did not list pursuit of happiness, but instead identified land ownership as the third basic right. 

In today’s America, we no longer identify life as a right guaranteed by God as we neglect to protect the most defenseless and innocent of live... the unborn baby that is being fearfully and wonderfully knit together by the God who already intimately knows that soul. Liberty has largely been traded for perceived security by the federal government that now participates in aggregate taxation that exceeds the amount that precipitated the Boston Tea Party. So what of pursuit of happines? Well, only if it is inoffensive, inclusive, fair, and available to any person who feels entitled or minimized. If you have too much pursuit, now you’re going to be forced to give it up to those who don’t have enough. 

Surely this United States of America would not be recognizable to the group of men who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to give her birth by their blood. Today is a day of celebration for many across our nation who so carelessly refer to the day as The Fourth of July. We’ve reduced the significance of this great sacrifice, stripping even its name in exchange for a neutered date on a calendar.

And so I present to you our national day of mourning, recognizing that what was once a great nation was born on July 4, 1776. I am a patriot of that nation. While my generation failed at protecting her for the next generation, I make my own pledge of life, fortune, and sacred honor to pass her heritage to my children. There was never a nation so great.

As we move forward in this fundamentally changed society, may those of us who remained citizens of the nation that has slipped into shadow, resolutely stand to honor her and influence others even now with our pledge to protect the God given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

I fear that God can no longer bless the United States of America, she has turned away from Him, abandoning truth, and now He has turned her over to the desires of her heart. Even so, as in the days of Israel and Judah, when a nation turns its collective face away from God, a remnant of followers remains.

It is time for us to be that remnant.

We are His people.
He is our God.
We are to love Him with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.
We are to seek His face above all other things.
May His word reside in our hearts and on our tongues.

We are called to be men and women who engage in the mission of God to restore all creation and reconcile humanity back to Him.

No comments:

Post a Comment