(In) Dependence Day!

As Kelly, Sarah, Parker, and I celebrate the 4th of July here in central Illinois with our friends Charlie and Jen Dean and their boys, I've been reflecting on this day and what it meant, means, and will continue to mean for our future. While reflecting, I came across this piece by Seth Barnes (the guy I was kinda named after) on his blog.

Here is a taste:

"How ironic that today we celebrate independence from tyrants when only recently, we voted ourselves more government programs and more taxes, the very thing we fought a revolution to resist.

What a strange epoch in which we live, when the Prime Minister of Russia can chide America for becoming too socialist and for moving too far in the direction of dependence on the state. We are in the process of granting government increased control over our lives in many areas, and in the process, are setting in motion a cycle where our children or grandchildren will once more have to fight for independence.

God wants us free to choose him, but he also longs for us to subordinate our freedom and choose to become dependent, not on the state, but on him. We have swung the pendulum so far in the direction of independence when it comes to faith that we no longer really need God. Our stacks of insurance policies represent an effort to minimize the chances of having to depend on anyone other than ourselves."

Check out the rest here.

So as you and yours celebrate this day, may we thank God for those that sacrifice so much to keep us free nationally. But may we be in awe of the One who gave up his only son so that we would be spiritually, eternally, emotionally, relationally, and systematically free from sin, self, shame, and guilt for all time.