Another 4th of July has come. It is a time to relax, go to the beach, barbecue and spend time with family. But it ought to be more than that. This holiday is meant to reflect on what America is all about and our role as individual Christian citizens of this country.
Over two hundred years ago the young United States of America was called “The Great Experiment”. The world had never witnessed a country founded and brought forth on democratic principles. The idea of government by the people, for the people and of the people was as strange to most at that time as the thought of a monarchy is to us today.
“The Great Experiment” has thrived. As a nation we have prospered incredibly. Our influence in the world is undeniable. The 4th of July, for Christians, is an opportunity to acknowledge God’s blessings on this country, of which we are privileged to be called citizens. It is also a time to consider our unique role in America’s future.
Recent events have led many Christians to become pessimistic about the future. There are those who claim the best of America has passed. Some are throwing up their hands in despair.
It is not the time for Christian Americans to give up, but rather to stand up, as light and salt disciples of Jesus Christ.
Jesus never gave a guarantee that American government or any government would be friendly to his followers. In fact, he said just the opposite. He said, “Expect suffering.” At the same time, though, he tells us to go out and make a difference for him even though there is resistance at every turn.
The outcome of America’s future is in God’s hands. What that will be we do not know. But one thing Christ has made very clear: as citizens of the United States, we do not have the option of retreating into isolation. Instead, we are to stand up, and with Christ as our Savior and Lord, live with powerful Christian integrity and be prepared to speak of Jesus with a respectful gentleness.
Join us this weekend and stoke your Christian light so you can keep on showing the way to Jesus, no matter how dark things may seem.
Saturday night service: 6:00 pm
Sunday morning service: 10:00 am
Hawaii Lutheran Church (WELS)
- Community Lutheran Church
- Honolulu, HI
- Community Lutheran Church holds protestant chapel services in Honolulu, Hawaii near Pearl Harbor, HI. We are next to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam Air Force Base, and Fort Shafter Hawaii. Look for us directly behind the Salt Lake, Hawaii, Target.