An Enduring Republic
We find it hard to imagine a time when Americans were more divided than what we experience today. But tensions ran deep among the colonists at the brink of the Revolutionary War 250 years ago. They were Englishmen, after all—and Christians. Just as we do today, I imagine they puzzled over the context and language of St. Paul in Romans 13, imploring believers to “be subject to governing authorities.”
For more than a decade, Great Britain had persisted in oppressing the colonists and squelching good faith efforts to claim their rights according to English law. On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry made his case for liberty at St. John’s Church, seeking to persuade the delegates gathered in Richmond, Virginia, to take up arms against British oppression.
His famous closing words, “Give me liberty or give me death!” helped pave the way for the Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and eventually signed by 56 delegates. The document served as America’s first official step to establish itself as a nation, make a comprehensive case for the populace, and set in motion the American Revolution. This year we reach the 250-year milestone of one nation under God.
On one hand, 250 years is not that long. The Roman Empire endured for more than 400 years. Paris celebrated its 2,000th birthday in 1951. But America’s 250th year marks the birth of the first constitutional republic form of government in the world. Our republic has endured longer than any of the 218 democratic nations that followed in our footsteps.
Freedom isn't free
But freedom depends on every generation of Americans. If you’re not personally making sacrifices for freedom in your generation, your neighbors are doing it for you. Visionary Americans did not sit idle after throwing off the tyranny of Great Britain. They went to great lengths to secure the nation by devising and ratifying our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Their descendants fought a brutal war against their own countrymen to free American slaves.
The 20th century also demanded bravery and spilled blood to fend off the likes of Hitler; stand up to global communism; and expand the rights of women, black Americans, and other disenfranchised populations. Since then we’ve been fighting the war on terror and standing for Christ in a modern society where moral decay is killing our nation from the inside out.
To advance the cause of freedom, we must exercise our God-given rights, bought with blood. We must be willing to teach our founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to the next generation and reinforce these ideals in our communities. As Christians, we also seek to understand the scriptural foundation of the founders and their historical context. Armed with these insights, we can better recognize threats to our freedoms, leverage our Constitutional powers to fight ongoing oppression, and seek God’s help in the process.
An occasion to reflect
If you’re anything like me, you’re a long way from high school civics or Saturday mornings with Schoolhouse Rock. So to celebrate the 250th at iVoterGuide, I’ll be sharing a series of emails in the coming months called America@250. These emails will flesh out foundational American principles and fundamental rights. This milestone affords us a grand opportunity for remembrance and deeper learning about our origin as a nation. Throughout American history, reflections upon the Declaration of Independence have helped set the stage for greater realizations of our ideals.
So be thinking about your plans for a very special Independence Day this July 4. I hope my emails will inspire elevated conversations with friends and family members surrounding your own 250th celebrations. By the grace of God, meaningful reflections upon American independence and Jefferson’s poetic words will rally and unify us once again.
