The question posited by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg one-hundred fifty-seven years ago may well be one that we find ourselves asking again today. Can our nation “so conceived and so dedicated long endure?” How was she conceived? and how dedicated? Lincoln’s address to those assembled on that day, November 19th, 1863 answers that question this way.

He explained that our new nation was “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The great experiment. At that time the United States was a mere eighty-seven years old and failing to live up to her promise of equality for all. But many were willing to lay down their lives to ensure that this nation did extend that promise of liberty and equality to each and every person.

And lay down their lives they did. The Gettysburg Address was delivered at the dedication of a plot of land that was to become Soldier’s National Cemetery. That’s why Lincoln and the others had gathered at Gettysburg on that November day. They had come to honor and to bury those who had already given their lives so that others might live – but not just live, live free. Freedom is not cheap. It comes at a cost. And the cost was already high.

Some are willing to pay the price. Men such as Patrick Henry who famously said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” To some life is not worth living if they are not free to choose how they will live.

I was reminded of this just this morning in church. Two people spoke to us this morning, a man from Jordan and a woman from the DRC. (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Both had experienced persecution for practicing their faith, which put their lives in danger. They had fled to the U.S. several years ago and are now both citizens of our country.

Today, they shared their stories with us. They told us that we can’t truly appreciate how rare and wonderful this country is, because we have never known anything different. We have not experienced what those around the globe experience on a daily basis. I confess – I too often take for granted all the freedoms I enjoy, including the freedom to worship God openly. I have these freedoms because others purchased and secured them for me at a price. The price? Their lives.

To the rest of the world the United States is a symbol of hope, a beacon of light, a last bastion of freedom. Must be why so many risk so much to come here. Like the two individuals who came to my church this morning, they are seeking their God given, unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which their own countries have denied them.

And so the question of Gettysburg remains with us today, how long can this nation endure? There are those who would tear her down and see her burn. Democracy does not work well, when dead peoples’ voices are heard while the voices of the living are disregarded, silenced or remain silent. Democracy dies when we choose comfort over conscience, complacence over courage and silence over speaking out.

May the light of freedom not be extinguished on our watch. The world is watching.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

“For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” (Psalm 47:7-9)

sincerely, Grace Day

I looked at what I had just typed (or what I thought I had just typed) but instead saw before me pure gibberish, unrecognizable letters and symbols strung together, making absolutely no sense. What I saw on the computer screen before me was definitely not what I had just finished typing! Well, it was not what I had intended to type and by extension not what I had intended to say.

Then I looked down at my keyboard, more to the point, I looked at my fingers on said keyboard and what had happened immediately became clear to me. It was the placement of my fingers on the keyboard that was the culprit. Nothing major, just one key off sideways in either direction or one row off up or down and nothing will come out right. And nothing had come out right. The proof of that was on my computer screen!

You cannot start from a wrong position and expect things to turn out right. Yet that was exactly what I had done. My fingers were positioned one key off from the correct starting position. My fingers had executed their motions correctly, but from a wrong starting position. I had done everything right except to check to make sure I started with my fingers on the correct keys.

If I start from a wrong position I will end up at a wrong place. If I began with a false premise I will arrive at a false conclusion. What starts with a lie cannot end in the truth. It is an impossibility. Truth is the foundation upon which freedom is formed. This is the lesson my keyboard taught me today.

I am told we are living in a “post-truth” era. Facts don’t matter, it is feelings that are given precedence and followed. I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I freely confess – on any given day my feelings run the gamut, they are all over the place. So my truth is an ever changing entity. This does not inspire much confidence in me as I attempt to ascertain what is true.

God’s word is truth, eternal truth. I read in Psalm 119:160 these words,

“All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal.”

and in John 17:17 Jesus’s prayer for His disciples was,

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”

We are also told in Matthew 24:35,

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”

The words of Isaiah 40:8 proclaim the same truth about God’s word saying,

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

So there is truth – the enduring, unchanging truth found in God’s holy, living word. I read in John 16:13,

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you (me) into all truth.”

This is what I long for – truth. I don’t want to build my life on a lie. Actually, there is something else I desire greatly and that is freedom. These words of Jesus often come to mind as I ponder the relationship between truth and freedom,

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

That is what I want – to know the truth and to be free. There is an important truth in God’s word that is incorporated into our Declaration of Independence. It is this,

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . . ”

We are all equal because we are all created by God in His image, deriving our intrinsic value from our Creator.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

So it is the premise contained in our own Declaration of Independence that holds the promise for each and every one of us as citizens. The promise is contained in the premise that all men (people) being equal is a self-evident truth.

This promise procures for each of us access to the protections of our constitution. This is a promise of endless possibilities and opportunities for us as free individuals to pursue prosperity for ourselves and for our children in peace and tranquility.

Why has America been a symbol of freedom, promise and opportunity to the rest of the world throughout her brief history? Could it be because she was founded on a truthful premise, straight from God’s word? (that being that all people are created by God and therefore are equally valuable and have equal rights given them by their Creator) This is a truth that government should not interfere with but instead exist to protect.

Our founding fathers started with truth, with a true premise. So there is hope that in the working out of and in the living up to that truth, America can attain to good ends. America was not founded on a false premise, but on truth. Truth is a sure foundation for freedom to flourish. But in truth’s absence freedom will die.

America started with her hands correctly placed on the keyboard, acknowledging God as our Creator and as the giver of our human rights. (remember God’s word is truth, eternal truth – the only truth in an ever changing world)

Now, even though America’s hands were correctly placed on the keyboard, the movements of her fingers (unlike mine) have not always been flawless and mistakes have been made. But her starting place is truth so arriving at a destination of liberty and justice for all is possible. But if you start with a lie, you will never arrive at the truth. And without truth, you will never be free.

Today I am wondering if America will live up to her founding documents (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) or if she will make a deal with the devil so to speak. Historically, it happens often. As Paul said in Romans 1:25,

“The exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.”

America became a bastion of freedom for the oppressed precisely because she was founded on the truth of God, not government, giving us our rights. Governments are to protect and defend those rights of the individual, not restrict nor usurp them. But if we began to believe the lie that it is government who determines who and what has value, rather than God’s word, we will go down a very different path. Remember, if you start with a lie, you will never arrive at the truth. A lie cannot lead to truth.

Today many may be praying that we remain the land of the free and the home of the brave. I guess that will depend in part on how brave the brave actually are right about now to speak out and not remain silent. The world is watching, waiting, hoping that freedom’s light is not extinguished in a final flurry of fire. rather let it rain . . .

“You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” ( 2 Corinthians 3:17)

sincerely, Grace Day

It is a big city and an even bigger world we live in – and I confess – we are just a small group, grown even smaller in number with the passing of the days it seems. And yet there we were, standing in the gap once again – a gap growing wider even as we grow smaller – and yet . . .

we were each in obedience, being where we were called to be on this quiet Saturday morning like any other – and yet not. Our instructions?

“I urge, then, first of all , that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

If we want peace, we are told to pray for those in authority over us. And so we came together in obedience to petition God for peace in our time, for peace in our country, for peace in our city – for God’s peace to prevail in our city streets, providing protection and paths for reconciliation and restoration of damages done.

The peace God gives is a powerful peace that passes our human understanding. We simply cannot comprehend it fully, but we do experience it. At least that’s what it says in Philippians 4:6-7,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So God’s peace will protect my heart and my mind when I bring all my worries, anxieties, fears, needs and requests to Him. This is great news and a welcome comfort during this volatile time in history. The Living Bible translates it this way,

“His (God’s) peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.”

Most of us are in pursuit of personal peace these days, even as civil unrest and increased crime seem to surround and overwhelm us. We desire both personal and public peace. Both seem elusive and impossibly out of reach. Yet Jesus is the Prince of Peace of whom it says in Isaiah 9:7,

“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”

His reign is further described in these terms,

“but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. . . . The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. . . . They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:4 & 6-9)

This is indeed a whole new world! No strife, no destruction, no harm to the vulnerable and the weak. Why? Knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth! His Presence brings peace and protection and prosperity to humankind. He is a God of order and unity, therefore His mere Presence dispels the chaos and division that our misguided human striving has invited into our personal and public lives.

And so we petitioned not a human judge but our Heavenly Father, for the peace we so desire in the life of our country and in our own lives as well. He is faithful. We are told in James 5:16,

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

We stood in the gap, inviting, beseeching, begging for God’s intervention into our tumultuous circumstances – desiring that His Presence which is filling the earth from every sunrise to every sunset, be made manifest in a mighty way.  

Petitions for peace will continue, dear readers. The prayer of Colossians 3:15,

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

That’s where peace starts, in individual hearts. It has to take root there before it can spread to the heart of a nation. And our nation desperately needs a new and peacefilled heart.

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

sincerely, Grace Day