In 1776 our forefathers broke the yoke of dependence upon a foreign monarchy to declare a free and independent government that would be “Of the People, For the People and By the People.” No longer would our country be dominated by foreign rule dictated by a king not duly appointed by its citizens. This nation would be a republic whose civil leaders are chosen by and answerable to the people they serve. Rather than a top-down hierarchy, our country was created to be a bottom-up democracy in which its people voluntarily associate and work together for the common good.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Real freedom is not cheap, neither is freedom free. The Bible says, “You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:13)
Freedom is not guaranteed by the laws it creates.
Freedom is not sustained by the armies it places in the field.
Freedom is not bought through its tax codes and economic systems.
Freedom is sustained by the personal choices its citizens make to love and serve one another.
People must choose to love one another if freedom is to survive. Hear the very next verse which follows the one stated above, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:14)
Freedom is costly. It costs us our personal independence to secure the national independence. It costs us our love and commitment to serve others if we are to preserve and protect the freedom we have for each other.
My oldest Son Matthew left home the day after he graduated from high school to join the Marines. That was one of the hardest days in my memory. I can still see the taillights of the Marine Core officer’s car as they left our home to take him to Paris Island. It was hard to give my son to the Marine Core, but it was a sacrifice necessary to preserve and further the cause of freedom in this land. Freedom requires giving. It calls for sacrifice and service. Freedom is not free, neither is it cheap. I’m afraid our country would rather fuss and fight than pay the price of service and love it takes to make freedom stronger and more resilient against its enemies.
I remember the chilling prediction the Russian President, Nakita Khrushchev, made in 1956 when he said, “We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the U.S. We will destroy you from within…”
I was 8-years old at that time. His words did not mean a lot to me then, but now they do. With Russian interference and disinformation so prevalent in our social media platforms and political structures; with the sad display of violence and hate storming our nation’s capital on January 6th this year, with continued grievance and hate rhetoric so in vogue throughout our land, we seem to be picking and chewing each other apart rather than serving and loving one another as we should. We seem to know more about what divides us than we do about what unites us.
Is Mr. Khrushchev more of a prophet than I thought he was?
I’m going to fight back. I’m not going to allow selfish disunity and personal privilege to rob my freedom. My commitment is to love and serve. I’m going to follow the great commandment to “…love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength”, and then as best I know how to, “…love my neighbor as I love myself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
I’m going to give what it takes for the sake of freedom.
Will you join me?
Abraham Lincoln said, “Government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Real freedom is not cheap, neither is freedom free. The Bible says, “You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:13)
Freedom is not guaranteed by the laws it creates.
Freedom is not sustained by the armies it places in the field.
Freedom is not bought through its tax codes and economic systems.
Freedom is sustained by the personal choices its citizens make to love and serve one another.
People must choose to love one another if freedom is to survive. Hear the very next verse which follows the one stated above, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:14)
Freedom is costly. It costs us our personal independence to secure the national independence. It costs us our love and commitment to serve others if we are to preserve and protect the freedom we have for each other.
My oldest Son Matthew left home the day after he graduated from high school to join the Marines. That was one of the hardest days in my memory. I can still see the taillights of the Marine Core officer’s car as they left our home to take him to Paris Island. It was hard to give my son to the Marine Core, but it was a sacrifice necessary to preserve and further the cause of freedom in this land. Freedom requires giving. It calls for sacrifice and service. Freedom is not free, neither is it cheap. I’m afraid our country would rather fuss and fight than pay the price of service and love it takes to make freedom stronger and more resilient against its enemies.
I remember the chilling prediction the Russian President, Nakita Khrushchev, made in 1956 when he said, “We will take America without firing a shot. We do not have to invade the U.S. We will destroy you from within…”
I was 8-years old at that time. His words did not mean a lot to me then, but now they do. With Russian interference and disinformation so prevalent in our social media platforms and political structures; with the sad display of violence and hate storming our nation’s capital on January 6th this year, with continued grievance and hate rhetoric so in vogue throughout our land, we seem to be picking and chewing each other apart rather than serving and loving one another as we should. We seem to know more about what divides us than we do about what unites us.
Is Mr. Khrushchev more of a prophet than I thought he was?
I’m going to fight back. I’m not going to allow selfish disunity and personal privilege to rob my freedom. My commitment is to love and serve. I’m going to follow the great commandment to “…love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength”, and then as best I know how to, “…love my neighbor as I love myself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
I’m going to give what it takes for the sake of freedom.
Will you join me?
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