Long-Range Liberty

 Long-Range Liberty

By Pastor John Dawson

This July 4th we celebrate the 248th birthday of our nation. It is a day to gather with friends and family and to be thankful for the blessings we have here because of our country. Growing up, my hometown would have a parade and a huge crowd would gather at the park to see the fireworks. I think the population of the town would double that night. For me as a child, the spectacle is what I remember the most. Later, I would learn about the principles of our nation’s founding, which is the purpose behind all the celebrations.

Later, I lived in Philadelphia, PA. When friends and family came to town, a trip down to Liberty Hall was in order. The room where the continental congress sat and deliberated declaring our independence from England is decorated in the same manner as it was back in 1776. The Liberty Bell had been moved from its place at the top of the building to a special pavilion where we could see it and touch it. I remember the spiel of the park ranger, “Go ahead and touch it. After all, it’s your Liberty Bell.”

The Bell has two things inscribed on it which make it unique among our national symbols. One is the name of a company that tried to fix its crack—Pass and Stow. The other (and more significant) item is a quote from Leviticus 25:10 (KJV) Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof. This is the verse declaring the jubilee year (the 50th). The Bell was originally cast to celebrate the 50th year of the charter of Pennsylvania. The theme of proclaiming liberty took on a whole new emphasis the year the Declaration of Independence was approved.

A decade later, another important document was written and approved—the Constitution. The preamble of the Constitution gives the reasons for setting forth the principles and structures of our government. The last purpose in the list is this: secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. The purpose of the Declaration was to give liberty to a people who felt the oppression of government. The purpose of the Constitution was to secure that liberty would be maintained through our government. What good would it do to throw off an oppressive government that was centered an ocean away only to establish an oppressive government locally? Unfortunately, it seems to me that the practices of our present government have ignored many of the safeguards of the Constitution. We would do well to return to the spirit and letter of the Constitution.

I am struck by the last part of the final purpose in the preamble. It is to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. The Framers were concerned with the long view of liberty. They wanted a better life for themselves, but even more wanted to present to their children and generations to come a nation of liberty. This is our concern as well. We work to improve our own condition, but we are concerned about children. We need to be intentional about blessing children and giving them what they need to grow and thrive.

All ministry toward children is a ministry that takes the long-range view. Cornerstone Christian Academy was begun to help children learn to think about the world with a Christian worldview. Church ministries for children encourage them to know the liberty that comes by knowing Jesus. This is a liberty that is eternal.

Last month I went to a groundbreaking for the Isaiah 117 house that is just a few miles down Lee Highway. It is a place to care for foster children who are awaiting placement. It is traumatic when a child needs to be taken from their home by child services. Without this resource children have been forced to sleep on a cot in the office, sometimes for days. The Isaiah 117 house will give care and love to these children. The program began because Christians wanted to show love to these children.

Another ministry to vulnerable children is Pathways Pregnancy Resource Center. Many of you know Pathways well and are familiar with the encouragement it gives to mothers who are expecting children as well as the help it gives to the mother after her baby is born. We are involved in helping this mission by our support and volunteering.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do to secure eternal liberty for our children is faithful prayer. We pray for our own children and grandchildren but our prayers can go farther in two ways. One is to pray for children that are beyond our close connections and to pray for the people who are reaching out to bless them with the love of Jesus. And we can also pray for generations to come. It is clear that the Framers of the Constitution had purposes that looked far to the future. Let our prayers go to the future as well as we await our Lord’s return.

Prayerfully yours in the liberty of Jesus,

Pastor John