Freedom

​Today is July Fourth! The day mattresses go on sale, families gather for picnics, children light off fireworks all day and through the night; and most importantly, we celebrate the idea of freedom. We remind ourselves how fortunate we are to live in a country whose constitution is built on the cornerstone of freedom:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

 Today I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to live in a country that values freedom. However, I’m also reminded that many of my friends and fellow citizens have not benefited from the ideas expressed in our constitution. I’ll never forget the week I spent with Dr. John M. Perkins, an evangelical civil rights leader who has spent his entire life preaching, teaching and working to build communities based on God’s love; communities where justice, tranquility, welfare and liberty are experienced by all of its citizens, not a select few.
 
Dr. Perkins lives in Jackson Mississippi. The week of my visit with Dr. Perkins was the very week the Civil Right Museum in Jackson was to open. Dr. Perkins was given a private tour of the museum before the grand opening and he invited me to go on the tour with him. Surreal doesn’t come close to describing the experience of walking through the museum with this iconic civil rights leader; as he looked at the exhibits, with tears in his eyes, he shared his personal memories of those moments in time with me.  On our ride back home he said, “Sometimes people ask me when I joined the civil rights movement!”  He shook his head and with vehemence in his voice, he continued, “I didn’t join a movement. I was born wanting to be free!”
 
All of us are born wanting to be free.  Some of us experience the privilege and full benefit of living in a country built on the principles of freedom. It’s right and good to celebrate! However, as we celebrate our independence, let us not forget those who have struggled hard and long to gain their freedom. Let us also remember that some of our fellow citizens still struggle under oppressive systems that prevent them from knowing tranquility and welfare; some struggle to survive and provide for their families because of economic insecurity; still others face every day with mental illness and addiction without access to adequate healthcare.
 
If you love and value the privilege of living free, as a part of your Fourth of July celebration will you recommit yourself to the work of insuring that all of our neighbors have access to the benefits of freedom?