As the Fourth of July nears, I want to record some things which have been on my heart and mind. First of all, let me say that I love America, and I feel so grateful that I was allowed to be born here. I grew up during the Reagan Era. It was a time of prosperity and patriotism. It was also a time of the Moral Majority. We didn’t have gay marriage, the World Wide Web, widespread use of cell phones (they were in their infancy), social media (Thank God), and radical division in our politics. Republicans and Democrats disagreed on plenty of things, but half the country didn’t hate the other half. People didn’t go around tearing down statues or being offended by everything. We were taught to love America in school. We sang America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee) and said the Pledge of Allegiance each morning.
Our parents took us to church and Sunday School. We learned about Jesus, the Gospel, and the Bible. We called upon Jesus for forgiveness and were saved from our sins. Then we got baptized and joined the church.
We went over to our grandparents’ house, enjoyed time with family, ate home-cooked meals, and played wiffle-ball in the backyard. We rode our bikes all over the neighborhood, collected baseball cards, and slept over at our friends’ houses.
We enjoyed sports and movies because they weren’t political. Players didn’t kneel for the National Anthem. Players talked about how hard they worked, not how entitled they were. Everyone wanted a pair of Air Jordan shoes. Donald Trump was a well-known millionaire and businessman, liked by Democrats as well as Republicans.
There was an atmosphere of unity, brotherhood, and common identity. Everyone seemed proud to be an American. In times of tragedy, the country came together instead of pointing fingers at each other. Everyone was rooting for America to succeed.
Companies weren’t woke. You didn’t have to worry about your choice of a restaurant being a test of political loyalty. Parents could let their children watch Saturday morning cartoons without fear of indoctrination. And transgenderism wasn’t really a thing. We called people who dressed up as the opposite gender, transvestites, and we thought that was a strange thing to do.
There was no Black Lives Matter organization (with Marxist principles), violent mobs in the streets, or Critical Race Theory (it was just beginning to be formulated at elite universities). Identity politics had not yet taken over. We just viewed each other as Americans.
The bottom line is that it was a wonderful time to grow up. Life was good. So many of the negatives of our present day were not around. Optimism was prevalent.
So it grieves and saddens me to see the state of our country now. I’ve watched with horror the riots, violence, and looting that has taken place over the last few weeks. Law and order broke down. Police officers were killed, injured, and disrespected. Innocent people were beaten in the streets for no reason. Mobs of “protestors” attacked cars driving along the road. Left-wing mayors refused to restore the rule of law. Instead of supporting law-abiding citizens, they chose to side with the mob.
As someone who loves history, I was appalled to see historic statues toppled because I knew that it was an attack on the very history and heritage of the United States of America. And it was not limited to Confederate statues. Even Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt came under suspicion.
My wife and I have been blessed the last few years to see some of the landmarks of our great country like Mount Rushmore, the Lincoln Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, and Independence Hall. Seeing these structures in person has only made me love America more. I’m grateful to God that we got to see them when we did since we don’t know if they will be torn down in the future. I sure hope they will remain for my kids to see them.
Perhaps the most discouraging aspect of the last few weeks was to see people whom I knew going along with the ideology of the woke mob. I expected that the liberal newspapers and news stations would support such madness. I did not expect to see churches, fellow Christians, and Republican leaders promoting the insanity.
I was watching the original Magnum, P.I. television show the other night, and it brought back memories of better days. It was a nice escape for an hour. I thought to myself, “Oh, yeah, this was back when everyone didn’t hate each other, and the country hadn’t gone crazy. We could enjoy life and not have to worry about violence in the streets. We were free to speak our mind without fear of reprisal.”
So at times like these, what is the answer for our nation? First and foremost, we need revival. Our country has strayed from God. We as a country have embraced sin and wickedness. Sadly, I don’t even hear many calls for repentance in churches and Christian circles. We need to get on our knees, humble ourselves, repent, and call out to God for mercy and revival (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). We need to also be prepared for the Return of Christ. No man knows the day or hour, but with the way the world is going, it seems like it could be very soon.
We need to teach our children our Christian and conservative values. We should read the Bible and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. We need to teach them about our American history and heritage, and not the Howard Zinn version. We need to tell them about the Pilgrims, the Great Awakening, and George Washington.
On this Fourth of July, we should teach our children about The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. We should instill in them a love of America and freedom. We should warn them against the evils of atheism, materialism, Marxism, and Communism.
We should demand that our Republican leaders fight for us to help preserve things like law and order and our American history. We should oppose efforts to eradicate or replace Columbus Day. We must not fall for the lies of the Left. Columbus is a central figure to Western Civilization. If he is toppled, the rest of our forefathers may fall like dominos.
We need to quit being deceived by the lies in the media, academia, and even in some religious institutions. We need to reject critical race theory, identity politics, marxism, and modern day liberalism. We need to stand for life (that includes the unborn), liberty (that includes for all races), so that we may be able to pursue happiness.
Finally, we need to have courage. One of the most disheartening things of the last few weeks has been to see our leaders, people who should be fighting for us, cave to the mob because they lack courage. I’m convinced that if more law-abiding citizens would have the courage to speak up and take a stand for what is right and for common sense, we wouldn’t be in this horrible situation. We must NOT be silent anymore.
So I want to wish you and your family a Happy Independence Day. Enjoy the day with loved ones. Have a cookout. Set off fireworks. But remember why we celebrate—it is the 244th anniversary of the adoption of The Declaration of Independence. Remember that we are supposed to be a free nation. And think about what we can do as citizens to reclaim that freedom and to rediscover our history.
Wesley’s Writings 