Independence Day

In a recent survey, a dismal percentage of people knew that July 4, 1776 is the day that the United States of America gained its freedom. Then, there is the politician who claimed that Paul Revere rode his horse through New England towns to warn the British that the Americans were coming. Instead of the other way around!

It has been about a generation since I have heard July 4th referred to as "Independence Day". Or since I have heard Memorial Day referred to as Decoration Day, the day that we decorate the graves of military veterans who fought and died for our country. Now it is considered old-fashioned to refer to these holidays by their original names, to give any credence to their original meaning.

What does July 4th mean to you? Pigging out at barbecues, going to the beach or lake, watching fireworks? How about going to the mall to hit it big with the summer sales?

What does independence mean to you? Does it mean a fashion statement, the wearing of the red, white and blue? To some it means, "This is a free country! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want." It is a license to behave badly. An excuse for entitlement.

To the first pilgrims who came here, Independence meant, among other things, Freedom of Religion.  Independence meant being free to practice their religion of choice, as opposed to being told which religion to practice, or being told not to practice any religion at all.

Today, Freedom of Religion has begun to sound a lot more like Freedom FROM Religion. People cringe if we mention God in our conversation. It is cooler to mention casually that we played a round of golf on Sunday morning, than to say that we went to church. Instead of celebrating that this is a country of all religions, we sweep clean any mention of religion or faith at all.

On Independence Day, I think of my grandfather. My grandfather volunteered to serve in WW I. That's it, volunteered! He rarely spoke about his experiences in the war. He simply believed in it, so he did it.

And yet, the fact was, he sat in a deep, dark trench in France, a pit filled with mud and rain water and human waste. Bombs and bullets rained overhead. In that pit of men who were packed shoulder to shoulder, there was gangrene, there was the deadly influenza, there were lice and never, ever enough to eat. From this, I think, must have come the phrase "War is Hell".

When I attend Mass, I think of my grandfather, and I remember that he and so many others fought for my freedoms-- including my freedom to practice my religion. And many others died in combat to preserve this freedom.

I went to Mass today and there were only a handful of people there.  Maybe you are wondering why anyone would bother to go to services on this day at all?

My wish for all on this Independence Day is that you get to swim and eat great food, view fireworks, maybe attend a parade, and yes, even snag a bargain or two at the summer sales.

But most of all, I pray that whatever your religion, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc., that you find a house of worship this week and make it a point to exercise your Freedom of Religion. That you stand up and be counted in favor of Freedom of Religion. And that you celebrate the fact that in America, we welcome people from all over the world, no matter what their faith.

God Bless America! God Bless you all!

(c) The Spiritual Devotional 2011. All Rights Reserved.