Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

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. ("...by which is meant the right to pursue any lawful business or vocation, in any manner not inconsistent with the equal rights of others, which may increase their prosperity or develop their faculties, so as to give to them their highest enjoyment." - U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Johnson Field 1883)

Life:

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Matthew 10:39 and 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24 and 17:33

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

Liberty:

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29 (Note: “yoke” in the Bible is always a euphemism for slavery and servitude)

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

Happiness:

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:2b-4

³`Happy the poor in spirit -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

⁴`Happy the mourning -- because they shall be comforted.

⁵`Happy the meek -- because they shall inherit the land.

⁶`Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness -- because they shall be filled.

⁷`Happy the kind -- because they shall find kindness.

⁸`Happy the clean in heart -- because they shall see God.

⁹`Happy the peacemakers -- because they shall be called Sons of God.

¹⁰`Happy those persecuted for righteousness' sake -- because theirs is the reign of the heavens.

¹¹`Happy are ye whenever they may reproach you, and may persecute, and may say any evil thing against you falsely for my sake --

¹²rejoice ye and be glad, because your reward [is] great in the heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:3-12 (Young’s “Literal” Translation)

Thoughts on Nationhood: Fire In My Bones

I realize that my previous posts on nationhood may have been a bit abrasive and snide. I’m sorry. My intent isn’t really just to make people mad or rattle cages. Someone recently asked me “where is the political stuff coming from?” The only answer that came to me is that “This is fire in my bones!” (Jeremiah 20:9 – “But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.) I feel the need to preach.

This time of year, as I see so many churches celebrating our country, anxiety grows in me about two things: First, that we are moving away from our first love and our allegiance to God. As a religion scholar I have visited Hindu temples and while there, I’ve had to risk offending people by declining invitations to participate more in their worship. At times I have felt the same need to decline participation in services at Christian churches because to ME, it was not clear whether God or our country was being worshiped. For those who are familiar with Paul’s admonitions about eating meat sacrificed to idols, you may consider me “the weaker brother” for feeling like what would be idolatry to me is not to you. The second reason for my ranting is my involvement with missions. Maintaining contact with the global body of Christ has led me to feel uncomfortable when churches celebrate something (American identity) that sets them apart from other members of that body. More and more, I want to be in constant remembrance of who the church is globally and celebrate our unity (such as it is) and when churches host national celebrations, I feel that we move away from that.

All that being said, I thought over the next few days I would try to simply offer some texts (nothing I’ve written) about America, Christianity and the Bible. I hope they lend themselves to your consideration as we approach the Fourth. Christians often say that the nation was founded on “Christian principles.” Mind you, principles don't need to be explicitly "Christian" to be good, and if they are not Christian, that doesn't mean I don't like them (whether or not I should is another question). It just means that there may not be a clear connection. We also have to ask whether the Christian scriptures mean the same thing we do when they use certain words. On Sunday, I will consider Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, the foundational principles of the national “creed.”

FYI: The art at top is by Daveion Lashley a conservative Christian artist from Barbados. His website is: www.godartist.com