Happy Fourth of July!
Make it stand out
Today as we celebrate the Fourth of July, and the birth of our great nation, I think about the Inaugural Address given by America’s first President.
The year was 1789. The date: April 30th. A monumental day in the life of a nation that was just 13 years old. America had declared independence from England on July 4, 1776, but it was not until 1789 that the new nation inaugurated its first President: George Washington.
Standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City (the first capitol of our nation), his address following the Oath of Office acknowledged the critical role that honoring God would play in the success of a nation:
“…it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves…In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States…we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained…”[i] (bold mine)
To paraphrase the last sentence in today’s language it might sound like this: “We should know that if we, or any nation, expects to enjoy the favor and blessing of Heaven, then we cannot ignore His ways and live according to our own.” Our first president recognized the importance of acknowledging God in the public arena. Following the address, he led a procession to St. Paul’s Chapel a few blocks away, where he knelt, prayed, and some have said, dedicated the United States to God. An interesting footnote to this story is that this little chapel, which sits in the footprint of the World Trade Center, was the only building in the entire area that was spared during the attacks of 9/11. One of the pews bears a plaque that proudly proclaims it as the very one George Washington used during his visits to the chapel.
From the beginning of our nation, prayer and honoring God have been evident. In 1774, at the initial meeting of the First Continental Congress, the forebears of those who serve in Congress today, noted the initial order of business to be prayer: “Can we open the business with prayer?” While there was some debate owing to the diversity of religions represented, they came to consensus, opened with prayer, and unity followed. The First Prayer Proclamation of 1775 occurred a year before independence, calling for the entire North American continent to set aside a day to pray and fast together.
In 1863, after 45 years of peace and prosperity, President Abraham Lincoln stated:
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven…we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation…but we have forgotten God…Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and reserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.” [ii]
Lincoln’s words ring as true today as they were in 1863. As a nation, we have long since turned from living according truth and absolutes of right and wrong. 2 Timothy 4:3 foretold the times in which we are living: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.” The Judeo-Christian foundations on which this nation was founded have eroded away, until like the Israelites of old, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Deut. 12:8, Prov. 21:2).
We are reeling from the effects of our turning: vitriolic hatred in our streets and over the airwaves, violent anti-American demonstrations, rampant crime, drug abuse, decline in academic standing, broken families and broken children. We applaud the pluralistic society we have created and the rights we enjoy - freedom of speech and religious expression – are commendable. But have we, in the process of secularizing our society, loosed the underpinnings of our value system by removing God from public life? How is it that we can revere kings and presidents, mere human beings, but the Creator of the universe we hold in contempt through our dishonoring of Him and His ways? To fear the Lord is to give God His rightful place of glory, honor, reverence, thanksgiving, praise, and preeminence. To fear the Lord is to know Him as He truly is: Creator, Sovereign Ruler of the universe, holy, full of power, might, and strength, full of truth and mercy.
There is much more that could be said of God’s character, His ways, His power, His majesty. But in all of His glorious might, which ought to make us tremble, there is an aspect of His nature that is sorely needed in our world today – His Father heart. In a society like ours that has suffered the ravages of fatherlessness, never has the need been so great for understanding God’s caring, loving heart towards His children…those who were created in His own image. We are raising a generation of young people who have been adversely affected by the lack of a strong, loving father, or father-figure, in the home. Through our legislation, court decisions, and education, we have turned away from God’s intention for the family structure. As a result, our children are growing up with a deficit in their sense of value, identity, and security, all of which affects their ability to make sound judgments and decisions that will impact their future. And the future of our nation, for they are the next leaders.
As we celebrate Independence Day, let us turn away from our independence from God and acknowledge that there is, indeed, a God in Heaven, who because of His great mercy and awesome majesty, is due the honor, respect, and reverence we ought to give. My prayer is that “we the people,” would heed the words of our first President and recognize that “the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”
[i] https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-george-washingtons-first-inaugural-speech
[ii] https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/fast.htm