Over the July 4th weekend I celebrated the birthday of our nation, the anniversary of freedom declared and independence fiercely fought for, and the similarities between personal freedom and the freedom Christian faith brings. The tag line for my website says “Where Real Life, Hope and Faith Intersect”, the phrase that nutshellizes what my site is all about. Much of the time I write about family or the small joys and annoyances of life, but I’ve written a number of pieces over the past 4 years that were more serious and reflective. This is one of those. Today I write from a believer’s heart, not wearing any other hat. I hope my readers will read in the same vein, just one human being to another, in this world where we are so quick to label others regarding their religious beliefs, political leanings, or moral practices.

I’ve always loved history. Always. I was good at it in school, I easily memorized the dates of battles or names of famous people, especially those who were pivotal in forming America or Texas. I loved Texas History in the 7th grade, drinking in the stories of the Alamo, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston and already proud at an early age to be a 9th generation native Texan. In the 12th grade I loved Government, learning about the Declaration of Independence and that amazing document that is the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the fact that our system has no equal. I admired the brilliance of the Founding Fathers in establishing a system of checks and balances with legislative, executive and judicial branches, recognizing how difficult it would be to keep what they had created.

I love living in a free country, the American flag, and celebrating our independence each year – remembering the great personal sacrifice of many that made possible our freedoms: taxation without representation, right to free speech and assembly, right to choose our religious beliefs if any, ability to vote and bear arms and have all citizens treated equally under the law. I’ve always taken for granted that I would be able to say, write and believe anything I wanted as long as it was not intentionally hurtful to others. After all, that’s what Christians are supposed to do – boldly speak the truth in love while respecting the rights of others also to speak boldly and to disagree.

I guess that’s why recent Supreme Court decisions make me sad and disheartened. Please don’t place a political lens on my words; this blog isn’t about specific issues. It’s simply my observation of the incredible change that has happened in my country in the decades since I was born. Sometimes it seems up is down and black is white. What I read in the Constitution is that Congress won’t make laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion; what I observe in today’s America is a pastor’s sermon can be considered illegal – in America! and I can be told to accept as law practices I find unacceptable. What I read is we have the right to bear arms; what I hear is talk about infringing on that right. What I read is powers not delegated to the United States are reserved to individual States; what I observe in practice is selective interpretation of those powers.

It feels as though the walls are closing in on my personal freedom and I don’t like it. Laws about wearing seatbelts, texting, removal of plastic grocery bags, searching my personal space and luggage when I travel by air. Some of those things are absolutely the right thing to do, but making them into laws scares me. I never thought I’d have to answer questions about whether I have health insurance in filing my taxes, or have no say in how my taxed money is used. I thought Americans would always be able to agree to disagree, free to act on their faith or morality while stopping short of harming one another. But our founders knew differently. It’s why George Washington said of the Constitution, “its only keepers, the people.” What we don’t make an effort to keep, we stand to lose.

Life is full of change. Some of it doesn’t affect me; some of it I am unhappy with but powerless to change; some of it I am blessed by – like smart phones and laptops and paper towels and Ziploc bags and convenient healthy frozen foods and reliable cars on highways that bring my grandchildren to me. But there is one thing that never changes, no matter what man in his wisdom or ignorance may do. The Bible says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. My ultimate citizenship is in Heaven, after all – I am just a pilgrim passing through this life and I must keep that in perspective.

So I will continue to celebrate America in all its flawed beauty, continue to appreciate a good job and great doctors and the pleasure I have in blogging about both the serious and the silly. Thanks for reading.