Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“In the name of God, Amen. We…[h]aving undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith…a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together…”
The Mayflower Compact, November 11, 1620
Our American flag, posted where it belongs at the front of our house, continued to wave on the morning breezes. It seemed to be saluting the celebration yesterday of the birthday of this great Nation.
The celebration of a Nation founded and established by those who held a deep faith and belief that they were acting in concert with God.
And as The Mayflower Compact sets out above—the governing document of the first settlement of Pilgrims in this great land 156 years before the birth of this Nation—that early settlement advanced what would also be our Judeo-Christian heritage.
Sadly, many today try to secularize our founding, and apply principles of political correctness to assuage voices of atheism, humanism, as well as different faiths embraced by many.
But one cannot change the fact that those who wove the threads of the beginnings of America—wove within the fabric of America not only their blood, but also an offering of their lives to God and Christ—establishing for all time the foundation under God of The United States of America.
Recall those words which echo throughout our history from that moment of the birth of our Nation—
“We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world…And for support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 (excerpts)
It’s one of our precious founding documents, along with the U.S. Constitution, and others, guarded day and night in our National Archives in Washington, D.C.
One signer’s fingerprint could be seen on the original of that Declaration of Independence, permanently etched there when he fervently leaned down over that document to pen his name, knowing full well that by signing he was offering his life. That by signing that great document he was putting his life on the line and he stood to lose all that he had, including his wife and his children—but for the sake of all that he believed in and all that he held dear, especially his wife and children, he signed it.
Five of the signers were captured by the British, branded as traitors, imprisoned and tortured. Twenty had their homes ransacked and burned. Nine of the fifty-six signers fought and died from the wounds or the hardships of the War for Independence.
And others lost everything and everyone dear to them.
These were not wild ruffians, these were men of means, educated men—but men, women and children with a deep faith in God, who loved liberty more than they valued their own lives. And because of those beliefs—they courageously offered their very lives for this great Nation.
They paid the price for us. They made that first payment for us and for those who will follow us. And that payment has been kept up-to-date through the sacrificial offerings of the lifeblood of our citizens down throughout the pages of our history.
And the torch they lit has reached our hands.
The question before us, as a people and a Nation, is—what will we do with it? Do we have the courage to stand for this great Nation, as those before us did? What sacrifices will we make so that the torch of liberty, symbolic of this great land, will not only continue to burn, but burn even brighter—for all our citizens in every walk of life?
For we dare not disappoint, or turn our backs on, those who have gone before us and those who will follow.
We might do well to embrace the words of John F. Kennedy, and…
“With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
The torch of liberty—it’s in our hands.
May God bless us as we carry it forward to burn brightly.
And may God continue to bless—The United States of America.
In His Name–Scott
