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Today, as we celebrate the birth of our nation, there is no better symbol to express our patriotic desires and appeal to our people than the American flag.
In May 1776, it was not only their common allegiance to the soon-to-be-founded nation, but their common faith that gave birth to the American flag. Two Episcopalians, George Washington and Betsy Ross, who worshiped together at Christ’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, worked with a small secret committee to create an enduring vision for the future of our new nation. designed a symbol.
The end result was spelled out in Old Glory fabric with white stars and alternating red and white stripes on a blue background. The number of stars increases according to the number of provinces…from 13 him to 50 now. Blue is a symbol of vigilance, patience, justice and freedom. White represents purity and innocence. And the red, the sturdiness, the bravery, the bravery and, of course, the blood price often paid for the freedom we now enjoy.
God’s blessing on America, like much of what God does, is a partnership arrangement. (St. Petersburg)
When called to pledge allegiance to those who love our country and all that stands for it, we stand, take off our hats, and silence the conversation. With our hands on our hearts, we pledge our rightful allegiance to the essential and intangible nature of the land of freedom entrusted to our care by Almighty God.
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Despite the polarizing tensions of identity politics promoted by some, the majority of Americans still believe in the reality that we are. ”One Nation Under God”, and as stated in our Declaration of Independence, we are “… endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights …includes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Today, many of us will celebrate by singing Irving Berlin’s words, “God Bless America.”. ” But for our time, it may be both a patriotic anthem and a prayer.
It only takes a minute or two of a newspaper headline or the first two minutes of a news channel to tell you that you need something beyond yourself to help. Whatever we are doing on our own has done little to stem the tide of cultural division, racial disharmony, rampant political corruption, and constant violence. We need something beyond ourselves to help us, save us, bless us.
I say this as a Christian pastor, but in my work with religious leaders of all traditions, God’s blessing on America, like many things God does, is a partnership arrangement. I would agree with you.
True, God’s blessings are always initiated by God Himself, but all the great stories of faith point to the deep truth that much of what God does is not just done. “for” made in the image of God, “and” side by side with them. Abraham, the father of the Hebrews, Christians, and Muslims, was promised an inheritance by God, but to obtain it, he had to hold God’s hand and trust by faith that it would eventually become so. , had to start walking the path of God. he takes the promise.
What can help us in our partnership with God today? For reference, let me make some suggestions as a kind of meditation for Independence Day, using the national flag as a kind of background.
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First, let the red of our flag remind us of the word “”.Remember“From the Alamo to Gettysburg, from Anzio to South Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq, remember the price you paid for your freedom, and those who responded to terrorist attacks within our borders. Remember, we truly accept the sacrifice of lives, limbs, and loved ones for freedom, and that is the reality. not impossible be eternally grateful.
Just a few weeks ago my wife and I visited Omaha Beach in Normandy. As we walked from the beach, a young couple was laughing as they took pictures with their two toddlers. A mere 79 years ago, that would have been an impossible sight on the same beach soaked in the blood of the Allied soldiers who blazed the trail. For a free Europe and a free world. And it never would have happened had the start of D-Day not changed the course of that terrible war.
Then there were no words to describe the feeling of nothing but humility and gratitude as we gazed at the graves of over 9,000 Americans buried right above that same beach.
On our planet, nations hoping and praying are feeling the birth pains that you and I have been experiencing for over 200 years. Remember. Remember what you paid for. And remember that such an expensive price is also a treasure that is impossible to appreciate with gratitude. So remember.
Second, when you see the ‘white’ on our flag, remember the word ‘wait’ that was used so often in the story of our partnership with God’s children. The prophet Isaiah reminds us, “…those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength and rise with wings spread like eagles. They will run and not tire, and walk and faint. not…” (Isaiah 40:31).
President George H.W. Bush speaks to reporters in the White House Rose Garden on February 11, 1991. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
“Waiting” on the Lord means exactly what it says there. In all things we relate to and listen to God. Of God voice. We do that by intentionally participating in worship communities.
No matter how one feels about the comprehensive response to the pandemic, some of the painful symptoms of cultural decay we are witnessing around us are the result of the two years we were separated from each other in the Holy Land. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that. Where we pray together, sing together, hear old old stories – togetherin the form that we are changed by the voice of God, it often happens in what the ancients called. Koinonia – Community – Fellowship.
George Herbert Walker Bush, two years into his presidency, said in a speech, “I am honored to serve two years as president of this great nation, and without trust in God, America will never be the same.” I believe more than ever that I can’t be president of the United States. I can’t do that.” Imagine a world and life without Him in whom all things are possible. ”
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He went on to recall the wonderful words of Abraham Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War when asked if he thought the Lord was on his side. Lincoln replied, “My concern is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side.”. ”
When asked during the Civil War if he thought the Lord was on his side, Lincoln replied, “My concern is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side. is”. ” (Digital restoration by Stephen Wynn)
When we wait on God, complex things become simple. As the Bible speaks, the unknown will be revealed and the truth will be revealed. And when that happens, you will be free of your assignments and able to serve God and His God. So wait…and wait.
Finally, that blue B reminds us of our partnership with God. It just “exists”. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you and I are required not only to believe in faith, but to BE FAITH.
Jesus said, “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and those who persecute you. Pray for…for if you love, love your enemies and hate your enemies.’ I love you, what reward is there? ..love your neighbors…love your enemies…pray for your neighbors…pray for your enemies.”
This is what many call “one of Jesus’ harsh words,” and it is true. Tired of a polarized world where culture warriors think truth can only be found at the extreme end of the spectrum? What better way? There is
Flag Day celebrations in Quincy, Massachusetts on June 11, 2022. (Richard Ashe)
All great faiths are united on this point. The best way to partner with God and actively do His work in the world is to love everyone. To love who you want to love. And more importantly, love those who are just like you. it’s on the other side of you.
I mean, if you’re a Republican, you need to love the Democrats you disagree with…and if you’re a Democrat, you need to love the Republicans you disagree with. And if you are anything else, you will find a way to love them all.
I often remind people in the congregations I serve that those who bear in their being the likeness of God should not reflect the likeness of the world. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, “Do not follow the mold of this world, but be renewed and changed…” (12:2). The medicine for the world we live in is the heart that always knows that the greatest virtue is love.
Let that blue remind you that you can be the person God wants you to be. It means doing the most divine thing you can do. It means loving everything you come across. To love does not mean to agree, nor does it mean to endorse something that contradicts the virtues of our great faith tradition. But it also means that even those who hate us will love us especially specially. It is the way of God, not the way of the world.
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The American flag flutters outside the US Bank Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Sept. 20, 2014. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
We are at our best when we remember that call from John F. Kennedy many years ago., “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” To love her, to love her values, to love our freedoms, to love all those within our borders, and those who seek to enjoy the freedoms we share. Serving with love, not selfishness, is an essential part of any human being who wants to live a Christian life.so please do.
red, white, and blue. Red – Remember White – Wait, wait for the Lord. And blue – you are called to become a child of God.
The large Liberty Bell, which was brought to the colonies from the Leicester and Puck Foundry in London in 1752, contains a portion of Leviticus 25:10, “Declare liberty over all the land to all its inhabitants.” Engraved. By 1776, the bell had become a symbol of freedom from oppression—freedom to be an independent nation.
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On this day, may we “declare freedom” not only with our hearts and hopes, but also with our mouths and deeds. How can you and I do that? Respond to the invitation from the Red, White, and Blue Old Man to remember that God made us His creation, wait, and let us become God’s creation.
May God bless America. Together with God and with each other, we can bring that hope to the times in which we live and pave the way for the blessings He intends to bestow.
Click here to read more about Rev. DR. Russell Levenson, JR.
