My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrim’s pride!
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring!
Our father’s God to, Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!
First and fourth verses of “America” (My Country ‘Tis of Thee”) Written by Samuel Francis Smith
Let freedom ring!! Our country has experienced incredible freedoms over its short life. I am extremely thankful for those who have unselfishly given their lives to make that happen here and abroad.
As we celebrate Independence Day, I can’t help but think about the people in our country that are prevented from truly celebrating freedom today. Whether it is race, ethnicity, religion, poverty, sexual orientation, disability, or immigrant status, women and men, created by God, are not experiencing the freedoms that our country was founded upon. Oh, that freedom would ring for all people.
“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” Declaration of Independence
What can we do today to help make that happen? Let freedom ring!
God bless you this Fourth of July!