The 250th Birthday of the United States was July 4th, 2026. What are you celebrating?

My wife’s wisdom should guide you.

As I wrote in my acknowledgements for the General Counsel Series (The Promised Land, at page 14):

A comment by my wife Suzanne after seeing the show at the American Pavilion in Epcot Center in Walt Disney World gave me the essential vision of Visions of America; she felt that we should be proud about something besides all of the wars we’ve won.

And so, for the celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States, do not celebrate with gold statues or triumphal arches dedicated to the Power of Money, the Power of Religion, or the Power of the United States.

Celebrate by remembering the countless ways that the United States struggles (despite going astray (Isaiah 53:6)) to establish the ideal America first discovered by the hearts of Abraham, Moses and Jesus:

—blessing ALL people (Abraham; Genesis 12:2-3);

—challenging ALL pharaohs to set ALL people free (Moses; Exodus 8:1); and

—healing ALL hurting people (Jesus; Luke 10:25-37).

Honor those who blessed people, challenged pharaohs to set people free, and healed hurting people. Celebrate Apollo 11!

Here is an example of such blessing, challenging and healing taken from Visions of America, at pages 137-138:

Apollo 11

Apollo 11 gave us a new vision of the future.

When Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, it left a plaque that said:

     “We came in peace for all mankind.”

As Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the Moon, a television camera beamed the moment back to hundreds of millions of people. Neil Armstrong told Humanity that he was making “one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

At that moment, the Earth became far more than Apollo 8’s vision of a fragile blue and white oasis, hanging alone in the darkness. The Earth became the lively, colorful cradle for a civilization that will span the heavens.

After Buzz Aldrin joined Neil Armstrong, the astronauts raised the Star-Spangled Banner and planted it on the Moon’s surface.

The President called from the Oval Office in the White House to share his awe that: “For one priceless moment, in the whole history of [Humanity], all the people on this earth are truly one.”

Armstrong replied that it was a great honor and privilege to be on the Moon, “representing not only the United States but [people] of peace of all nations . . . [people] with a vision for the future.”

In Apollo 11’s vision of the future, Americans will no longer have to raise the Star-Spangled Banner after killing people in battle—as the Marines did in World War II.

In Apollo 11’s vision of the future, Americans will raise the Star-Spangled Banner as they make giant leaps to reach New Frontiers.

In Apollo 11’s vision of the future, Americans will raise the Star-Spangled Banner as they set people free from Humanity’s ancient foes: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.

In Apollo 11’s vision of the future, Americans will raise the Star-Spangled Banner as they come in peace for all mankind—for all Humanity.

In Apollo 11’s vision of the future, Americans will raise the Star-Spangled Banner as they establish a civilization that spans the heavens—a civilization that is good, that is very good.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Is America coming in peace for all Humanity? Why? How?

Are the powers of money, religion and the kingdoms of this world coming in peace for all Humanity? Why not? How not?

READ MORE

For related ideas, please read my book Visions of America, and my book Visions of the Church; and please read my blogs “Building a Civilization that Is Good—That Is Very Good”; “Building Houses on Rock: Mission Impossible?”; “Building Houses on Rock: Mercy and Forgiveness”; “Building Houses on Rock: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”; and “Building Houses on Sand: Specks and Planks”.