I was sitting in church and it was time to sing a hymn. Since it is so close to Independence Day, we were singing one of the patriotic hymns, America the Beautiful. I like to sing and so I was singing along and everything was good. We got to the end of the second verse and something happened. I couldn’t sing any more. It was like I was seeing the words for the first time and they had a profound effect on me. Here are the words to the song:
I know this is a long post, but you are going to have to put up with it (or just leave, either way). The words that started to affect me are at the end of the second verse. “America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.” I have felt from time to time that my love and feelings for my country may be a little over the top. I firmly believe that this country was established in order for a greater good to be established on the earth; a place where freedoms and rights and responsibilities could coexist in a way to make the strongest and freest people and nation in the world. I still believe that to the core.1. Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea.
2. Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.
3. Oh, beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness, And ev’ry gain divine.
4. Oh, beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.
The one thing that I have struggled with is that in receiving that freedom, some here have chosen to exercise it unwisely. We have the meek and lowly that are not always taken care of and sometimes abused. We have those who take advantage of their power for their own benefit and to the detriment of others. We have those whose words and actions would cause any normal thinking person to pause and reconsider the levels of freedom that we afford to all in this nation. Is this really what freedom is all about?
I remember watching a broadcast on the last night of 1999. I was at work (because in the computer world there was this thinking that we might be witnessing the end of the world as we knew it) and I was watching Nightline or something like that. They had representatives from three prominent religions in the United States on and were interviewing them about the state of the world. The first two gentlemen talked about how wicked the world was and how the younger generations needed to get back to God or the whole world was headed for disaster. After they were finished, President Gordon B. Hinckley had his turn. In his usual positive way, he reflected on the many instances he had seen over the years of the youth helping those in need, of the countless hours of service, the many acts of charity, and the general positive demeanor he found in the youth today. He spoke of the hope he had for the nation because of what he had seen in those future leaders. It was truly a contrast after hearing the dire predictions of the others.
I tend to believe as Pres. Hinckley did. I have always felt that we have been given the most wonderful gift we could receive, that of agency, freedom to choose. Because of that agency, some will choose wisely; others will choose the selfish path that destroys those around them in the pursuit of their own gain. Would it be better to take some of their freedoms away in order to form a better working society? Some would say yes. I answer that with a resounding NO. The reason we have people in our nation who are great is because they have taken that same agency and chosen to do good.
“America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.”
Is America perfect? Do we always make the correct decisions? Well, of course the answer to that is no. The founding fathers realized this, and were concerned that we in the future might not make the correct decisions. However, instead of limiting our freedoms (which some would say would have been a good idea), they reinforced the idea that we are free; that in our freedom we make mistakes. But, as the author of America the Beautiful so eloquently represents, the idea is that we learn and grow. That as we make decisions, we ask God to help us overcome our flaws. That as we make mistakes, we learn and seek for a better way.
God mend our every flaw, May God our gold refine, and when we do good, crown it in brotherhood and bless us that that our successes will bring light and liberty and truth to those on this earth that need it so much.
The greatest gift we have in this life here on earth is the ability to choose (even though my kids probably think they don’t get to choose enough). Let us use our freedom wisely to bring success and prosperity and happiness to all those around us. Let us use our freedom to lift those who are in need to a better place. Let us cherish our freedom enough to fight for it when those who would enslave us in bonds of sloth and servitude come calling with their siren song of assistance. Let us not regress to a time where we allow others to make all our decisions for us, to take that freedom from us in the name of security. Fight for freedom, fight for liberty, fight for justice.
To end this extremely long post (get used to it), I want to quote something from the Declaration of Independence.
“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
What will we do to support and sustain our freedom? This is a question for another (long) posting. But as we celebrate the 4th of July, think on these words and what it meant for those who set up the system to guarantee our freedoms. Think on it and ask yourself what you can do to keep those freedoms alive.
