Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June declaring the United States independent from Great Britain’s rule. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author.
There is no greater blessing than to be a free nation. We have many freedoms that people in other countries only dream of. In October 2001 I had the privilege of serving as a member of a team on a mission trip to Yugoslavia. This was before the country was divided up into states, and Tito, the socialist dictator, was still in power. It was disheartening for me to see that the people were so greatly oppressed, but they are certainly not the only ones. Multitudes of people are so greatly and in danger that risks their lives in desperate attempts to leave their homeland and come to America.
As has been said many times before, “The cost of freedom is not free.” Through the years, hundreds of thousands have lost their lives in fighting the forces of evil. We recently observed D-day where hundreds of men landed on the beaches at Normandy. The many lost made the ultimate sacrifice that America might forever remain free.
The Fourth of July is a day of celebration of who we are as Americans. There will be parades and picnics, outings and sports of every kind. There will be some who travel from one end of this country to the other. Historical sites will be visited. Why? Because we can! Because we are free.
One of the many freedoms we have as Americans is the freedom of religion. I do not always agree with the religious beliefs of others, but I will defend to the end their right to believe and worship as they deem fit. And I should always do so without criticism. Each man’s religious beliefs and theology is sacred to him.
As America was founded and built on Judeo-Christian principles, let us be reminded that we are “One nation, under God,” and that we are united with “Liberty and Justice for all.”
-Jerry L. Dunn, Oak Street Baptist Church
