Meditation for Independence Day

 A DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE

I don’t think I noticed before how most of the quotes in the Jefferson Memorial mention God. I was there just before Thanksgiving to record some images for our Thanksgiving service, mostly to capture the words of the Declaration of Independence that I was going to use in my sermon. But I could not help but notice the name of God that seemed to surround me. If you follow this link, you will see what I mean.

I suppose that surprised me because from what I read about Thomas Jefferson, he was devoted to the teachings of Jesus, even if he was not explicitly Christian insofar as that meant accepting all the supernatural events described in the Bible. I got that impression from his own personal Bible he fashioned where he reportedly cut and pasted just the teachings of Jesus in four languages but left out the events of his life. You can look at this Bible at the Library of Congress in person and online. And when you do, you can see Jefferson starts not with the Sermon on the Mount, but he cut and pasted the account of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2. So, maybe he did not have the allergy to the supernatural I originally thought? I’ve come to respect Jefferson as a complex thinker – not perfect, but someone who was fiercely independent like the country he helped to shape.  

Another thing I noticed while reading the excerpts of his “Declaration of Independence,” the signing of which we celebrate every July 4, is that there is also a kind of declaration of dependence at the end: “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour.” A “firm reliance” or dependence on God, let’s say, because in Jefferson’s view, God is the one who created us equal and free. To add to his complexity, we know the slaves in America were not freed when he wrote this, so the freeing of slaves later was called the "unfinished work" of the declaration for "all men" who are "created equal". 

That brings me to a Bible verse that is also declaration about a nation’s dependence: 2 Chronicles 7:14 - “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” God’s promise to hear, heal and forgive extends to a people who depend on God and because of that dependence, humble themselves and seek God. The promise that God would “heal their land” applied to ancient Israel, a nation set apart as descendants of Abraham to be a blessing to the world.

As we read this verse, today, we identify as God’s people who seek Him and trust in His mercy through Jesus Christ. Those that are Christian live all over the world under every sort of government and some of those governments are very hostile to our faith. But whether we are able to worship in freedom or we worship underground, God can still heal the land as He promised. That is because God works through each of us as we share the grace and mercy that is poured into our lives when we worship and hear again how the love of God saves us and makes us citizens of His heavenly country. When that love of God is applied in good citizenship, helping our neighbors and praying for our country, that is where God works His healing on our nation.

Whether you are traveling this holiday weekend, watching fireworks or otherwise enjoying your own “pursuit of happiness” as you celebrate our nation’s birthday, may God bless you and your family!

I will be away from Bethany’s pulpit, this weekend, but I encourage you to stop in or tune in as Rev. Robert Winston leads our worship Sunday, July 6 at 10.

Grace and peace!