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 the notion of Christian love and fraternity is 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 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 do truly trust.
Act
Is there a part of you that is tethered or restrained from being free? Perhaps there is a relationship that is unhealthy, a lifestyle choice that is holding you back, or some other stumbling block. Think of how freedom from those obstacles might bring you closer to peace and closer to God.
