July 4^th – THE DOCUMENTS OF DEMOCRACY                   

                                                                                                                                    7/07

By the Rev. Dr. James A. Gillespie:

 As we prepare for the birthday of our country and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we need to be reminded that it is but one of several documents of democracy.  However, it more than matches politically, socially and even religiously the signing of the Magna Carta by King John of England (June 15, 1215) or the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln or the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.  July 4 provides “the biggest bang” for humankind’s freedom that the world has ever heard.

 Of all persons, religious people should understand that undergirding all documents of democracy, there is the Christian faith at work – where religion brings its gifts to each of us. 

 Yes!  It is the Christian faith that makes possible every document of democracy.  It’s the leaven in the loaf.

 New Testament readers often refer to the book of Galatians as the Christian Declaration of Freedom: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast, therefore, and do not submit to a yoke of slavery.”(5:1)  “For you were called to freedom, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (5:13-14)

 This is the Declaration Document of Independence that frees us – to be what we are intended to be: free people, to love God and others as ourselves.

 The Fourth of July is a national holiday.  The word holiday comes from two words, ”day” and “holy.”  Holy is that which is different and different because it belongs to God.  Thus, the Fourth of July is a day belonging to God.  Yet, in practice, we make it like other holidays – a manmade day, our day to frolic, our day to forget the gift of God, freedom.

 On this day we set aside to celebrate our American freedom, let us remember the Apostle Paul’s declaration, ”Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17), and love the day because it is God’s day, a holiday, a Holy Day!

 The Rev. Dr. James A. Gillespie was one of my predecessors at Pigeon Creek and Cokeburg Presbyterian Churches in Eighty Four, PA.

Pastor Randy Schreurs