Birthdays are a time to celebrate. A time to praise. Not a time to mourn. Nor a time to rebuke. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

On Fourth of July Weekend we celebrated two birthdays. One for my grandson. One for America.

At my grandson’s birthday celebration we rejoiced at how much we love him. At how much joy he brings into our lives. At how much he is growing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people.

Everyone needs such a celebration of their life at least once each year. To remind them of every way they bless people by doing for them what they would want done for themselves.

There are 364 other days of the year to hear criticisms of what we’ve done and not done. But as we gather ‘round a birthday cake we set all such criticisms aside. We celebrate!

Similarly, on America’s birthday, we should stop the criticisms. Perhaps Frederick Douglass sensed this when he delayed his scathing attack on America’s hypocrisy until July 5th. (See my blog “Juneteenth: Frederick Douglass Denounces America’s Hypocrisy”.)

On the Fourth of July, we should gather ‘round the Star-Spangled Banner to celebrate all the times and all the ways that America has been growing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people—not just since 1776—but ever since the ideal America was first discovered in the hearts of Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

In this ideal America—in ALL ideal civilizations—we bless ALL people, we challenge ALL pharaohs to let ALL people be free, and we help ALL hurting people.

In this ideal America—in ALL ideal civilizations—we do for others what we would want done for ourselves.

Without dispute, there are many times that actual civilizations have strayed from this ideal way. (Isaiah 53:6).

Without dispute, there are many times that actual civilizations have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23).

That’s why we need a new heavens and a new earth where ALL things will become new. (Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-22:27).

That’s why we pray diligently for the will of our Father in heaven to be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10).

On the Fourth of July, we celebrate the times that our ancestors (both physical and spiritual) have—to the best of their abilities—blessed other people, challenged pharaohs to set people free, and healed hurting people.

Of course, like the Apostle Paul and ourselves, they knew only in part how to do the will of our Father in heaven. (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). There were many times that they strayed from this ideal.

Like the Apostle Paul and ourselves, there were many times that they didn’t understand what they were doing. For they didn’t do what they wanted to do. Instead, they did what they hated. (Romans 7:15).

Like the Apostle Paul and ourselves, there were many times that they had the desire to do good, but they could not carry it out. For they didn’t do the good that they wanted to do. Instead, they kept on doing the evil they didn’t want to do. (Romans 7:18-19).

Fortunately, like the Apostle Paul and ourselves, there were also times that our ancestors were more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37; Hebrews 10:39-12:3).

Abraham left behind the idolatry of his homeland to “bless all peoples on earth” by following the one LORD his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength. (Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

Moses challenged Pharaoh to let people go free. (Exodus 5:15-6:1)

Jesus commanded us to help all hurting people. (Luke 10:25-37; Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 5:43-45; Matthew 25:31-46).

On this most recent Fourth of July, I thought of my ancestors.

One donated land to establish a community of wisdom—Brown University.

One was a best friend who helped Roger Williams establish freedom of religion in America.

My 8-year old great-grandfather was a civilian casualty at Gettysburg—he fell out of a wagon and broke his arm as Union soldiers evacuated him from this battle to ensure that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

My mother’s ancestors lived near Rochester, New York where they almost certainly knew—and supported—Frederick Douglass (in his struggles to overcome slavery and racism) and Susan B. Anthony (in her struggles for women’s rights, including the right to vote).

In World War II, my wife’s father fought in the Philippines and my father fought in Italy.

Toward the end of the war, my father accepted the surrender of 100 S.S. troops—the evil backbone of the Nazis and the Holocaust.

On July Fourth Weekend, my family celebrated how we are blessed from the ways that these Americans (including “Americans” who were citizens of other nations than the United States) did for others what they would want done for themselves.

For example, my grandson’s great-grandmother was a small Jewish child besieged in Leningrad for 872 days by the armies and allies of the Nazis. She would have been one of the millions of lives cruelly snuffed out by the Holocaust, except for the strength and courage of America’s allies, including the Soviet Union.

As I wrote in my book Visions of America (published together with my book Visions of the Church), at pages 150-151:

“To establish the work of our hands, we must raise our Star-Spangled Banner and lift our Torch of Liberty towards the heavens, despite the fact that our visions of America are not yet firmly planted in the earth.

Because even though the battle of the Cold War is won, the war against Sin is far from over:

     —The War against all who are racists.

     —The War against all who start wars.

     —The War against all who persecute others.

     —The War against all who love to hate.

America has come far. But America has much further to go.

We’ve only just begun to travel toward that Promised Land where all people will be blessed.

We’ve only just begun to challenge the Pharaohs who refuse to let people be free.

We’ve only just begun to sacrifice ourselves to help others.”

READ MORE

I can’t remember the story about my great-grandfather well enough to be sure whether he broke his arm or his leg. But I think it is more likely that you would break your arm rather than your leg when falling from a wagon. You will note that clumsiness runs in my family. See my blogs “Nearsighted and Blind” and “Spilling Coffee”.

For more of my thoughts about raising the Star-Spangled Banner, please read my blogs “Raising the Star-Spangled Banner—FDR and Churchill”, “Raising the Star-Spangled Banner—Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin”, and “Raising the Star-Spangled Banner—Americans”.

For more of my thoughts about the ideal America, please read my blogs “Pandemic Wisdom: Visions of America”, “Building Houses on Rock: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, and “Building Houses on Rock: Mercy and Forgiveness”.