"A toast- to high treason...that's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration of Independence.....So here's to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right. What they knew was right!"
-National Treasure
I love that quote! The movie, "National Treasure" gets some things wrong, but it has some slamming quotes! :) Independence Day for me, gets me thinking all about the Colonial era, and the great, looming choice the Founding Fathers were facing. Should they go to War against their mother country? Was that really what the Lord was leading them to do? I am sure it was a very confusing time. Nowadays, we do not stop to think whether it was a good thing that America rebelled. We take it for granted, that it was always such an easy choice. I don't want to be a "red, white, and blue" American- I mean, the kind of patriot who is one only on the surface- I want to remember the real historical facts, and learn lessons from the men who made this huge decision. It must have been an intense time. I mean, I can only imagine in our church fellowship the unrest caused by someone saying we should emancipate ourselves from our governing country. I am sure not everyone would agree on the wisest course to take! But I believe the Lord blessed the men who guided our country on a quest to become their own. I am SO grateful for the wisdom the Lord gave these men in making our founding documents! I am proud to be an American, but not because "at least I know I'm free". I am proud to be an American because of our freedom, yes, but more importantly, because I know my heritage as an American. Really, the American Revolution was entirely uncoventional. And as Christians, we are called to lead unconventional lives! Our whole country was founded on Christian principles, and they have served us well! Now that we as a country are slipping away from our base though, I encourage us to learn the facts for ourselves! Not just trust whatever sort of "shot heard `round the world" history we happened to remember from our history book! :) People are forgetting the facts in lieu of legends, or missinformation- for instance, Sarah and I were laughing during the fireworks last night as we listened to a grown man musing: "Just think about in Colonial times, that all this noise would have been shots of guns! Man, I wouldn't be fightin' out in front! I'd run the other way and climb a tree and start sniping people!" What that man doesn't realize is that really, his "great idea" of hiding and guerilla-ish warfare was exactly what the Americans did! The British, very accomplished in open-war-field strategies, were at a loss when they couldn't even see the Americans hiding in the forest. Anyway, that man's remarks were just a reminder of how the facts are slowly being forgotten. Everyone sort of imagines pitched battle in a sunny field, with calvary, and formations. Indeed, there was some of that, but we Americans had learned our new land, and the benefits of fighting as the natives do.
This is sort of a rambling post, but it is "Post-Fourth of July-Musings" that were tumbling around my brain this week! Hope I didn't bore you! :) -Rachel
0 comments:
Post a Comment