Independence Day has been celebrated in some fashion since 1776, and that means this will be the 250th such celebration. Congress made July 4 an unpaid federal holiday in 1870. It became a recognized paid federal holiday in 1938. No matter that the history is a little convoluted, I appreciate having the annual opportunity to celebrate this nation, particularly at 250. To celebrate and reflect.

John Wesley, in his treatise, Thoughts Upon Slavery, wrote:   

“Wealth is not necessary to the glory of any nation; but wisdom, virtue, justice, mercy, generosity, public spirit, love of our country.”

We should do what we can to encourage and nurture these qualities  in our public life through our active engagement in it.

“You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in” (Isaiah 58:12).

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24).

Even more, weaving a rich tapestry of diverse persons is at the heart of what it means to be the church. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are invited to create beloved community in the church. We do that in the context of a country that has both successes and struggles in creating a more beloved community. The church shares in those successes and struggles. As we do our beloved community work in the church it will reverberate through our society, and our society needs such beloved community work more than ever.

I would like to offer these words from the Council of Bishops book, Building Beloved Community,  p 32, 33-34):

“Christians can and should be ethically engaged in politics because our political choices shape how we live together.... The spiritual cannot be separated from the material – this is one of the central insights of the incarnation.... Discipleship in its fullness means following Jesus in all the activities we see him engaged in – healing, liberating, comforting, feeding, empowering, teaching, including, and yes, confronting unjust powers.”      

The United States at 250 has a great deal to celebrate, and we have issues to address. As followers of Jesus, as members of communities of faith, our primary concerns are not political. We seek to form people in love, to share with them that they are loved by God in Jesus Christ and that abundant life is to grow in that love and life that love. And love has moral and political dimensions. The Council of Bishops encourages engaging in moral and political issues “with curiosity and humility while still maintaining moral clarity” (Building Beloved Community, 40).

Let me offer this final thought,

 “If we want to improve the condition of democratic politics, we need to occasionally do something together other than politics” (Robert Talisse, Overdoing Democracy, 4).

So on July 4, celebrate the United States at 250. Have a picnic, gather with family, listen to music, watch baseball, swim, stroll, watch a fireworks display, go to a parade, and feel gratitude for the good that is in our country. Talk with others about sports, summer, music, literature, family, or vacations. Know that on July 5, the work to make us better continues, to form us in love and in love to build beloved community in the name and Spirit of Jesus.

 

a Bard, D (2026. June 6) United States at 250. https://www.igrc.org/blogpostsdetail/the-united-states-at-250-19832029