It has only been two weeks since we celebrated Independence Day, July 4th, everything was joyous and we had wonderful times with family and friends.
The words from the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, 246 years ago, “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, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” VALUES
It’s not just about the celebration of our independence but it’s about understanding what independence is all about. We need to remember that there is a lot that needs to be done in our world.
We need to hear of all the good things that happen in our world besides just the tragedies. We need people who are not afraid to go forth and tell the stories of the “good things the Lord has done for us” and all the good things that are happening in our world. We need to take care of ourselves, we need to take care of others, we need to take care of all creation.
I like to hear Lester Holt say at the end of NBC news, ”Take care of yourselves and each other”. That is so important for us to understand, we need to do this, take care of ourselves and each other. It is not just about ourselves but it’s about each other as well! We need to make sure that we give a message that is a message of HOPE and a message of PEACE.
I once heard that often times you (I) may be the only Bible that someone may read. We have to make sure that what we are saying, what we are living, is the truth, and most importantly with empathy and Love. Our world is lacking in love. We need to make sure that we understand that we not only love each other but our world, the land we call earth.
We are interdependent and interconnected to Mother Earth. Yes our independence is important but we also have the responsibility to share, to take care of, and preserve all of nature.
We (humankind) do not own the earth resources and we cannot just use them without realizing there are consequences like global warming, the consequences of which we all have experienced; the pollution of water and air which has resulted in the extinction of many species, both plants and animals and the occurrence of various forms of cancer.
The Declaration of Independence remind us that the Values of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness come also the responsibility to care for our self, our neighbor and all creation. That in our lives we may know the truth that our creator is our Hope, our Peace, our EVERYTHING.
S. Monica Justinger is a member of the Pickaway Ministerial Association.