Into The Blue is about finding joy in simple pleasures. One of those pleasures is equality.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
U.S. Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
I love America, my country. America is blood and soil, beautiful people in a beautiful land. Like all countries. I belong to this people, this land. I love this.
But what truly entrances me is the idea. Liberty and Justice for all. We the people.
The idea of America haunts me. I can’t get it out of my head. I have bled for this America. I have poured out everything I am for this America. And I would lay down my life for her.
The funny thing, though, is that this America has never existed, not even for a single day. Or at least not fully. It has existed for many Americans in many places, but not for others. Many never even once tasted its sweet fruit.
Some days there it is right in front of you, on others it seems to have vanished. To really see it, you must first have a dream.
When I was a child, I had the luxury of taking it for granted. It was real for me. But now I am older. I’ve been around the block a few times with my eyes open. I know better.
This idea is not a birthright. It could vanish forever. If we the people forget. If we the people listen to our lesser angels. For if an idea is worth making real, you have to fight for it. And you can never stop.
When the idea of America is real for you, that is only the beginning. It is then you must look around and ask whether it is true for your neighbor. And then look further. Is it true for everyone? For those who don’t look like you? Those who don’t believe like you? Those who don’t live like you? Those you don’t like? Yes, especially for those you don’t like.
If it’s not true for one, it’s not true for all. One nation, indivisible.
Because the foundation on which the whole project of America rests is this: all people are created equal. What a revolutionary notion! Each possesses the same great dignity and value. Dignity and value which a government of the people and for the people must respect, as a sacred obligation. Because if it doesn’t, it is not America.
Yes, we must have a dream. And we must fight for it, for each other. This is the America I love.
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light…
A Short Meditation
So God created man in his own image.
In the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
The first poem in Scripture celebrates God’s creation of humanity and our connection to him. A pastor could spend a lifetime preaching these three little lines and never exhaust their meaning.
But the essence is this: to be human is to bear God’s image. We don’t choose or earn this, and we cannot reject or escape it. We are this. It is intrinsic to who we are, the most fundamental reality of our existence.
Among other things, it means that every human being, regardless of age, color, creed, gender, or anything else, is priceless, possessed of inestimable value. To attack another person, to deny them their inherent dignity, is to attack God himself, in whose image all people are made (Genesis 9:6). This draws God’s wrath.
Now, the image of God in us has been marred, disfigured by sin. Sometimes horribly. But it cannot be erased.
If we want to know what it truly means to be God’s image bearer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said rightly that we must look to the person of Jesus.1 It is only in him that we see God’s image in perfection. And it is through faith in him that we make the journey to restoring that image in ourselves.
But believer or not, the divine spark rests within.
I want to draw out two practical implications of this profound truth.
First, you bear God’s image. Yes, you. Think about what that means. If you feel worthless, if you feel less than, know that this is a lie. You are priceless. And no one can take that away from you. What will you do with this reality?
Second, consider carefully how you regard others. If you feel superior, if you feel better than, know that this too is a lie. Other people, no matter their stature or status, are priceless. And neither you nor anyone else can take that away from them. What will you do with this reality?
Come now, let us become who we are.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1-3, eds. M. Rüter, I. Tödt, & J. W. de Gruchy, trans. D. S. Bax (Fortress Press, 2004) vol. 3, p. 62, Logos.
Eloquent! You think and feel the way I do about this country, but have an extraordinary ability to put those sentiments into words. What a blessing. Thank you.
Happy Independence Day to our wonderful, amazing but troubled country.