Independence Day Part I: What if American Independence and "In God We Trust" Collided?

If you know anything about me, my family, or summer in Bay View, you know that the 4th of July is a pretty big deal...a VERY big deal. We love the tradition and everything about it: the red, white, and blue, the parades, the ice cream, the grill-out, the fireworks, Aunt Nancy's American flag rice krispy treats and "FIre on the Mountain" salsa dip, even the American history trivia contest my mom creates each year. So as I was gearing up to see my family over this oh-so-important holiday weekend, I found myself reflecting on Independence Day, where it came from, and what it means. What does it mean to celebrate independence as Americans?

In theory, American independence is an incredibly beautiful thing. It revolutionized government and began true democracy in the world. Our independence resulted in a nation founded on the promise of political autonomy, democracy, and personal freedoms. For all of these reasons I love my country and feel incredibly blessed to be an American.

Despite the beautiful basis and true meaning of American independence, I can't help but feel that the masses of Americans have expanded and thwarted it. To many, independence and the American Dream have become doing what you need to do in order to get on the path you need to get on in order to secure your own future without a need for anyone else. Surely, then, you will have achieved complete Independence. True independence. Right?

It is certainly easy to think this way. In fact, it is exactly what I dreamt of for a long time myself. However, there is a problem that surfaces in this vision of independence: this "complete" independence leaves no space for "In God we Trust." Surely it cannot be what our founders had in mind. You see, in seeking such an independence, we ultimately seek to have no need to trust in God. To have enough money so that we won't need to draw on God's divine provision. To be so competent and powerful in our own right that we don't need God to hold us up and give us strength. To be so full of knowledge that we'll already find the answers without having to wait on God's wisdom. The list goes on. In the end, we thwart independence and the American Dream to the point where what we actually desire is not to live in the Promise Land, but to create and command our own.

As a Christian, if American independence turns into living for the coming of your own kingdom, what meaning is there behind "Your Kingdom Come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"? In heaven we will live in perfect harmony with God. His strength will be our strength. His vision our vision. His ways our ways. So if we pray for the coming of His kingdom here on earth, shouldn't we strive towards less and less of self instead of the more and more of the forcing of personal will that our current-day brand of independence calls for?

I propose a challenge for you this Independence Day. Take and celebrate all of the privileges this nation provides and then put them into God's hands. Give Him the space to work within them according to His will instead of abusing them in order to force your own. I challenge you to seek for your American independence to collide with "In God we Trust." It excites me to think about what this nation might look like. Maybe a little like His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Surely then we will truly shine America the Beautiful.