Reflect
Independence Day is a time for patriotism and picnics, to be sure. A different way to think about this national holiday is to consider what our freedom actually opens up for us. Read between the lines of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, and you might be surprised to find that love and fraternity are truly at the root of our great nation.
Pray
We are free.
That’s an amazing thing to behold,
and we wouldn’t have that freedom
without it being made available to us by you, Lord.
And more than being free to simply do what we want,
we are free to love with abandon,
to build your kingdom in the here and now.
We’re free to share and amplify freedom
where it is being stifled by oppression, racism, sexism, or classism.
We’re free to be compassionate,
and paradoxically, free to be servants.
It’s what you want us to do.
It’s what your Son taught us to do
when he washed the feet of his followers.
Today, we celebrate the beauty that is freedom.
In God we truly do trust.
Act
One way to nurture your appreciation of freedom is to get involved in civic activities. Volunteer as a poll worker on Election Day, get involved with a community garden, or attend a local government or town council meeting to see how our freedoms are bolstered and protected.
