The United States is on the cusp of a significant milestone this July 4th, with elaborate fireworks displays and long parades celebrating what the nation has achieved and endured.
However, beneath the surface-level festivities, a more pressing question lingers: what will we pass down to the next generation of Americans? The answer will determine the country's future and shape its identity at the next great milestone.
Currently, we risk bequeathing a version of America stripped of its core values, particularly faith. This is a worrying trend, as faith has been a cornerstone of the nation's exceptionalism and has played a significant role in its history.
The First Amendment, often misquoted, does not prohibit God from being a part of American public life. Instead, it ensures that Congress cannot establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof. This was a deliberate choice by the nation's founders, who believed that faith was essential and should not be weaponized by the government.
The Declaration of Independence is replete with references to God, describing rights as endowments from a Creator. This understanding of freedom is crucial, as it recognizes that rights are not granted by the government, but are instead a divine entitlement that the government is duty-bound to protect.
However, over the past several decades, the concept of "separation of church and state" has been misapplied to exclude faith from public life. This has led to a generation of young people who are ashamed of their country and disconnected from their faith, struggling to reconcile their identity and values.
This is not freedom; it is confusion masquerading as progress. Genuine freedom, as recognized by the Founders and promised by Scripture, is not something that governments create, but rather an inherent aspect of human nature that has existed since the dawn of time.
America's genius lies not in its creation of freedom, but in its recognition of freedom as a divine gift, and its establishment of a government designed to protect and preserve it. This understanding is essential for the next generation, who will inherit a nation that depends on their ability to discern truth and goodness.
A girl confident in her faith, who knows she is a citizen of heaven and second a citizen of this republic, is the kind of person a free nation needs. She does not require the government to tell her what is true or good; she can navigate the complexities of her nation's history with conviction, secure in the knowledge that her foundation is the God who placed her in it.
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, the real work will be the same as it has always been: raising children who understand the God who made them free and who recognize the responsibility that comes with freedom.
By doing so, we will not only commemorate the past but also earn the future, ensuring that the next generation of Americans is equipped to carry on the nation's legacy with faith, freedom, and a deep understanding of its extraordinary heritage.
