Declaration of independence or dependence?

www.americanthinker.com

Independence Day rolls around like clockwork each year. However, this one is special, as it is the 250th anniversary. It is one of the few holidays celebrated on a specific date rather than on a Monday or Friday to lengthen the weekend. This is because it is commonly known as the Fourth of July; how can the Fourth be celebrated on the second or the sixth?

Independence Day is literally celebrated with a bang, accompanied by firecrackers and sparklers, even where it is not legal, entirely in keeping with an independent spirit! It’s perhaps the most patriotic day of the year. Though fewer today may recollect clearly the historical facts behind it, a nostalgia tends to emanate from the festivities.

Christians, in particular, may hear calls for the country to return to the faith of the fathers—Founding Fathers, that is. The Constitution, with its myriad interpretations, is granted equal status on the part of some with the Ten Commandments, sacred to both Jews and Christians. Some do not distinguish the immutable character of that which was revealed from eternity by the Eternal One from that which is modifiable or amendable because it is rooted in the modern and the temporal, as well as in changing times.

The Constitution, along with the Bill of Rights, is invoked for freedom of speech, including pornography and racism, and for the right to bear arms, including ownership of assault weapons. The Fourth of July offers more than barbecue, picnics, and fireworks; it offers a time to reflect on the past, the present, and the future.

Looking to the past, let’s not wear rose-tinted glasses but seek facts and truth. Many of our governing, founding fathers were Deists, not Christians, who did not believe in a transcendent God who is active in redeeming lost souls. A very small number were actually antagonistic to Christianity.

The times were also different. There were no huge urban centers overrun by the violence we are experiencing today. The government’s job was easier because the new nation contained people more alike than those who were unalike—and the latter were so distinct from the body politic that they were dismissed from citizenship and civil rights.

Reflecting on the present, let’s recognize the overwhelming complexity of today’s problems and the mood of a nation and people who have grown weary of some well-doing and weary of a political machinery greased more by lust for power and greed than by idealism, service, or moral fortitude. Let’s recognize there are fewer people just “like us,” and that if we are to keep our nation vital, we must understand others’ viewpoints.

Just the sheer number of races, nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, and religions is mind-boggling when considering how to maintain unity and cohesion. For both Christians and Jews, as believers of the same God, we have one foot in this world but a stronger foothold in a kingdom which will last forever. Let’s be sure the stronger foothold is in the right kingdom.

Looking ahead, let’s do what we can to make life as healthy, safe, and pleasant as possible for future generations. Yet let us never forget we are only passing through. People of God are always aliens, expatriates, or sojourners in this life. Let’s move in the direction of our heavenly home, taking with us as many as we can. For Christians, that means we must devote our energy and efforts to the work of redemption, telling as many as we can that salvation is through Christ and what he accomplished on the cross of Calvary.

Independence for America took place 250 years ago and is a fait accompli. Most important for those who worship God today, specifically Christians and Jews, is to acknowledge their dependence on Him, to be the people God has called us to be, that is, to adapt wisely and compassionately to a culture in the process of steady de-deism, i.e., “De-deism is a philosophical stance that critiques traditional deism.”

The culture may not be fixed or affected by Christians or Jews until our own households are clean. Some soul-searching may need to be done, and perhaps some repentance. Just as our forefathers made a Declaration of Independence, let’s make a Declaration of Dependence on God, that is, dependence upon Him to be pure in beliefs and persistent in practices that glorify God, benefit believers, and bless an unbelieving world. This 250th Anniversary is a reminder of the Judeo/Christian history and principles that maintained and sustained it.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6: 10)

Image created using AI.