“. . . With Liberty and Justice for All”
Well, it’s that time of year again, as all across the country we do our patriotic duty and celebrate the Fourth of July. With all of the traditional events of the day (which has stretched into quite a few days) including picnics, parades, festivals and fireworks, we may overlook the origination of this particular date and its significance for every single one of us. But it’s worth some time to stop and recall with appreciation those who courageously took that first step toward independence in 1776, and the legacy with which we have been blessed.
In an effort to write a devotional article and not a historic treatise, a number of themes and sources were considered. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to realize how many references there are to freedom, liberty, and justice in both the Old and New Testaments. There is a universal, timeless and fundamental need among people for these basic human rights. The prophet Isaiah declares that the Lord sent him to “proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners” (61:1) In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reads these same words in the synagogue, declaring the fulfillment of the scripture. (4:18) The book of Amos thunders the call: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” And Micah follows with eloquent simplicity: “He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (6:8)
Jesus often spoke of being freed from the restrictions of the ancient laws and the bondage of our sinful nature, as he taught the gospel of love and forgiveness, the gift of God through his only son. In the Gospel of John, speaking to a group of Jews, Jesus told them, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. . . . So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (8:31-32, 36)
As we are given freedom of the spirit through Christ, we are then empowered to go into the world, to work for the rights of the disenfranchised, for the freedom of the wrongfully imprisoned, and for justice for those oppressed and suffering under the rule of despots and dictators. We are called, and also challenged, to advocate and speak out on behalf of those who have no liberties, and for whom there is no justice. As the blessed children of a God who has love for his entire creation, we can do no less.
As we celebrate, or, perhaps, contemplate, the ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice, remember the closing words of our own Pledge of Allegiance: “with liberty and justice for all.” Although the pledge is to an earthly nation, we nevertheless hear the power of God’s words, spoken by his prophets and his own Son.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers