July 4 is a day called Independence Day.
Some municipalities are calling it a “summer celebration” because they don’t want to use the word Independence.
That is a puzzle to me.
The day is marked to commemorate the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776.
It was a great day, and the beginning of the promise of what we now know as America. You can read the entire document here.
There’s a lot a discussion out there these days that divides people. A lot of love. A lot of hate.
One thing that shouldn’t divide any of us is the definition of America and what it stands for. What it gives us. Independence. Freedom.
This week, Staff Sgt. David G. Bellavia received the Medal of Honor. He also has other awards including a Silver Star and Bronze Star. I encourage you to read about the battle cited for his receiving the Medal of Honor here. Scroll down until you see: THE BATTLE Operation Phantom Fury | November 10, 2004 | Fallujah, Iraq.
I listened to an interview last week where Sgt. Bellavia talked about this experience. He said something interesting. He talked about the love that is in any battle among his comrades…what that love helps them do for each other. He said among other things that the enemy really doesn’t understand such commitment, and because of that commitment and love, there is nothing the enemy can do to defeat them. “Ultimately, we will win.”
I imagine this is what our founding founders felt when they split from England. As you know, England was the most powerful country in the world at the time. They didn’t expect to lose the war to “upstarts.”
But the love of country – the idea of an America where freedom prevails — is demonstrated by the men not only in their subsequent actions, but in their signatures to that document. The very last sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” That’s a lot of love…to pledge your life, fortune and honor to something intangible.
To read about what happened to some of these men because of their love may surprise you. You can go here for that information.
They say love and hate are the most powerful of emotions.
In many ways, they are strangely similar in their intensity.
As we think about things on July 4th, think about these two emotions…and how all emotions express themselves eventually in actions.
Like signing a document. Like what Bellavia did. Like what so many unspoken people do each and every day because of love.
Or hate.