The Price of Freedom
Last month our nation celebrated the Juneteenth holiday. This holiday commemorates ending the last bastion of slavery. After 400 years of slavery, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston Texas on June 19, 1865 informing the country's last remaining slaves that, under the Emancipation Proclamation issued two years earlier, they were free. Since then, blacks in Texas have celebrated June 19th as their Independence Day! In 2016, Ms. Opal Lee of Ft. Worth Texas, a former teacher and community activist rallied and even marched to Washington D.C. to get June 19th recognized as a federal holiday.
One hundred and fifty-six years after the end of slavery, in 2021, Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
This month on July 4th, the nation celebrates its 248th birthday and independence from Great Britain! Our Declaration of Independence of 1776 declares our nation’s freedom. The framers of our Constitution set about writing a charter for our government. It is a set of rules to guide how our country’s governmental branches and political powers are to work, as well as stating the rights of its people.
The Preamble to our Constitution states, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”!
As we recognize milestones and celebrations, our MDL Podcast marks its one-year anniversary this month! All glory and praises to God for an awesome year and opportunity for glorifying God and maturing His people!
We begin our new season by discussing fun memories of Juneteenth and July 4th while growing up in a large family in the segregated south. We discuss the price of freedom paid by black Americans and others in recognition of Juneteenth. We also discuss the price of freedom paid for all Americans who enjoy living in a free society!
As a nation we have missed the mark beginning with slavery, racism, sexism, economic disparities, social justice, cultural division and political corruption. Although we are not a perfect nation, as citizens of the greatest nation on earth, we celebrate our civil liberties and religious freedom. Sadly, in recent years there are those who seek to destroy democracy and take away our freedom! We discuss what losing our democracy would mean to our nation!
However, as Christians, we must remember that God is sovereign and in control of all things. We are to trust Him no matter how things might look. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land. While trusting God, we are to pray and vote!
Finally, scripture reminds us that the price of freedom is not free, for Christ paid for mankind’s freedom with His life on the Cross! If we put our trust in anyone or anything other than Jesus, we are not free. True freedom is found only in Jesus.
Food for Today:
“So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36
Cover Picture – Preamble-We the People, Courtesy of Shutterstock.com
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