The Blessing of July 4th
Each year, the 4th of July stands as a celebration of the United States of America. For nearly two and a half centuries, this country has illuminated a path forward for the world that has included its values of freedom and liberty. This year, I believe that the American Independence Day Celebration of July 4th carries a special message. Especially at this moment when the world confronts dark extremist forces in almost every region, this day forces us to remember a special promise of possibility. Today, on July 4th, it behooves us to reflect on the embedded blessing in this holiday and its focus on light and goodness.
To understand the evolution of thinking through the Continental Congress (1774-1789) and the Constitutional Convention (1787) is to acknowledge the political transformation of thirteen separate colonies into the more perfect union as the United States of America. At the core of that metamorphosis exists a revelation that forever changed history. Colonists determined that New Yorkers and Virginians, while geographically separate, both shared a common destiny. This relationship empowered the delegates to envision loftier goals together than the mere survival of any individual state on its own. Ratified in 1788, the opening phrase, “We the people,” declares that the strength and resolve of America will always rest in our ability to unite and find common solutions with one another within a complex world layered with challenges.
One might not think that this 18th-century history lesson applies to geopolitics right now. But keep in mind, Richmond, Virginia, and New York City are separated by approximately 300 miles. The notion that they shared a common purpose can be seen as radical and groundbreaking when one considers that it is almost the same precise separation in distance from London to Paris, the capitals of two liberal nations that have preferred profound political and cultural detachment. Perhaps this different point of view served as a catalyst for America’s growth and Europe’s decline.
In the 1780s, it would have taken many days to travel from New York to Richmond by horse. Today, one can fly from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles in less than a day. The world indeed seems like it has gotten smaller. Yet, we focus a great deal on our pronounced differences.
The blessing of July 4th is the ability to stress the significance of our similarities. America’s independence was grounded in the ability of southern farmers and northern commercial brokers to recognize that our shared values fostered greater possibility for a better collective future together. As we know, our values at our founding were not perfect, but they were grounded in a context of goodness for their time. American society was not perfect in 1776, but the delegates did not allow the many challenges of the day to stifle steps in a better direction. This moment holds a possibility for a new world order of goodness as well.
America, Israel, and many democratic nations around the world face great inner-strife, heightened polarization, and domestic anxiety. It is precisely at a time like this that we are called to dream anew. Americans can lift up one another. Israelis can also heal each other from domestic strife. This moment demands us to summon the courage and see our neighbors as partners, just as our founding fathers did.
On the global stage, the twelve days of war with Iran taught the world that the American and Israeli people both boast shared values and face shared enemies. It is easy to focus our attention on the network of evil, such as Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah. The real challenge is to build and expand the axis of goodness in an effort to reshape the world.
Today, we can recognize that the axis of goodness stretches from America to Israel, from Argentina to the United Arab Emirates. There are nations that espouse goodness in the world, and we should build upon that network. There will always be reasons to reject members of a coalition of goodness. Perhaps every matter of morality does not perfectly align. Goodness is usually inconvenient. It takes moral courage, a spirit of tenacity. Building bridges takes a great deal of faith in our fellows.
Approximately 50 brave individuals signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Simply put, by trusting in their shared values and common purpose, they changed the world for the better. They brought incredible blessings to the world over the last 249 years. For years, Americans beseeched the Almighty to “crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.” That is no longer enough. May we now hope that the same goodness spills out beyond our borders across the world, lending support to all those valiant enough to join us.
