In just a few days, on July 4th, a truly great holiday will take place in which we recognize and celebrate the freedom we enjoy in this great land. As many have noted, this year marks a truly special occasion, as the 250th anniversary since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In these divided times in our country, people often find themselves in a verbal tug-of-war, about their feelings about America. Two extreme groups you find are anti-patriots, who refuse to see good in America and want to spoil the celebrations. In the other extreme, we sometimes see “hyper-patriots,” who might refuse to admit any flaws in our nation at any point in history.
Yet most people I know fall into the category of simply American patriots: people who love this great land and—while we recognize past and present wrongs—have true gratitude and appreciation for America and our Founders.
Like you, I cannot express enough appreciation or admiration for the men and women who have served in uniform. We the people of the United States are truly blessed to be connected to so many brave members of the military, both past and present. Countless soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen and others have given their lives to earn the freedom we enjoy. On the Fourth of July (and every day), these heroes deserve all the respect we can offer and more.
The late University of Oklahoma professor and historian J. Rufus Fears often spoke of the remarkable legacy of heroes we have in America. He also said that what makes America truly a unique nation is that it is the only one founded on an idea; namely freedom.
It’s that topic—freedom—that I want to highlight today. Just prior to his passing, Dr. Fears produced an excellent online set of videos that really delve into the history of America and the unique legacy of freedom we share.
“In this series of 18 dynamic (video) lectures supplemented by downloadable documents, Professor J. Rufus Fears tells the story of how America’s vision of freedom became a model for the entire world. As Fears argues in the first lecture, one of the main reasons America has endured is because the founding fathers used lessons from the past to make decisions in the present and plan for the future. This sense of what works historically and what we should avoid has given the great American leaders (from Jefferson to Lincoln to FDR) a sturdy precedent that can be used as a tool to forge ahead.”
You can find all of the videos at no cost on YouTube here.
As we go to celebrate this Fourth of July, I truly hope you are able to celebrate with gratitude the freedom we enjoy. This July 4, let’s harness the freedom we have for the glory of God, the spread of the Gospel and the betterment of our neighbors.
Happy Independence Day! Happy 250th America!
