On the grand old glorious fourth of July here in the United States of America we are supposed to give thanks for our freedom which was given to us by our founding fathers, to remember the sacrifices that other citizens have made to preserve that freedom. We are supposed to be inspired, so if ever the call should arise we would gladly answer the call to arms and defend our freedom. For the sake of our nation, for the sake of our freedom, the price is high, constant vigilance is required, at least that is what I’ve been told. However, in my estimation, the sake of the nation is often at odds with the sake of humanity, the sake of freedom, and certainly at odds with the cause of the Kingdom of God. It has been said that the rest of those who have gone before us cannot steady the unrest of those who follow, as so many have given their lives, or had their lives taken the unrest continues.

All of this defense, all of this rhetoric presupposes that freedom is something that was taken, something that must be preserved by military intervention, something that one can attain by force. This argument for the Christian is fundamentally incorrect. Freedom comes from God, not from governments, freedom is a God-given right of all humanity not merely of those who have the biggest military forces. Freedom in this sense can be taken away, one can be thrown in prison, one can be persecuted, but that individual always remains free, it is the choices we make that allow us to be free despite our conditions. Within the human spirit, the mind, regardless of the conditions that one lives under, freedom is possible. The blood of the martyrs proclaims that freedom is the gift of God and not the invention of the state.

Back to the good old fourth of July, whatever the United States military fights for, it certainly isn’t freedom in the truest form of the word. It might be what they think is freedom, what the government tells them freedom is, however, freedom as the politicians use it is seldom explained. Maybe America is fighting for resources, it might simply be fighting for glory, but it cannot be freedom, freedom cannot be chosen for or imposed on another. Freedom cannot be brought by the sword, it cannot be bought, or traded for it is the free gift of God. The sword is completely antithetical to freedom. Freedom was given to humanity not by force but by grace. The freedom that America stands for is not the same sort of freedom, our freedom was taken at the point of a sword from others who had their swords pointed at us, and thus it is enforced by our sword in the name of innocence and justice. But I beg you, i implore you, if you are a follower of Jesus, please contemplate what the scriptures say about Justice, what the scriptures say about peace, and compare the same terms with the rhetoric of the United States, I truly believe that if you compare them together one can plainly see the differences.

As America celebrates the fourth of July, many others celebrate the deaths of loved ones, not simply from those unfortunate souls who died under the oath to the American empire, but those poor souls who lost their lives fighting against America because they swore an equally noble oath to their own nations. Who is more righteous? Who is right? How can we judge, as judgment belongs to God alone? As followers of Jesus this fourth of July instead of honoring the dead of a nation (remember we are commanded to love our enemies even to feed them) let us honor the dead who gave their lives to further the Gospel of peace, the martyrs.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be the children of God-Jesus

About JoshuaDbauIII

Joshua David Bau is a Doctor of Ministry Student in social and economic innovation at Bethel Seminary in collusion with Trans4m University in Geneva, Switzerland. He lives in St. Paul with his beautiful wife Gracie. He enjoys long walks on the street, painting and cooking.