John Avery, Church Administrator
Ahh! Tomorrow is July Fourth, and not just any old Fourth of July, it is the 250th anniversary of America’s Independence Day! For as long as I can remember, which is beginning to be quite a long time (29% of the time America has been a nation!!), July Fourth has been a day of reflection, relaxation, a cookout or a party of some sort, fireworks…an all-around happy day of celebrating our independence as a nation. That’s the way it has been for my entire life, but the first one wasn’t a joyous lighthearted event.
The scene at the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence, which is what occurred on July 4th, 1776, was most likely a formal legislative setting affected by the solemn reality of the business at hand. It was a hot humid day in Philadelphia. The windows were most likely kept shut to maintain secrecy and reduce noise from the street. The men were delegates from the thirteen colonies, many of whom had been meeting together and conducting business for more than a year. Fighting had already broken out in the preceding months, and the Second Continental Congress had already been about the business of creating the Continental Army, appointing George Washington as commander in chief, and organizing the war effort. The delegates knew they were crossing a point of no return. Their approval of the draft, and their signatures added later, were a public declaration that they were traitors in the eyes of Britain.
Adding to the solemnity of the moment was the improbability of success of their undertaking. The Second Continental Congress declared war against the preeminent world superpower of their day, England! They had even started fighting before they had formally raised an army or appointed a general. Yet, the members of the Second Continental Congress, including the fifty-six signatories of the Declaration of Independence, were well aware of the personal danger of what they were doing. The closing sentence reads, “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.” Ben Franklin famously quipped, “We must, indeed, all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” On July 3rd, 1776, John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail, “I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States.” John Hancock is reputed to have explained the size and prominence of his signature by saying, “There! John Bull can read my name without spectacles, and may now double his reward on my head.” John Bull being a reference to King George III similar to the way Americans refer to Uncle Sam.
Many of the delegates/signers were orthodox Christians, and while some were not it seems reasonable to say that all were profoundly influenced by the Judeo-Christian ethic as they went about the business of the Second Continental Congress. After the adoption of the Declaration Samuel Adams reportedly said, “We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven.” Many others referred to God’s provision and sovereignty. Even Thomas Jefferson acknowledged later in life that, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.”
We in the United States of America have been blessed like no other nation before. While you’re relaxing and enjoying the bar-b-que, friends, family, and fireworks take time to give thanks to God for what He has provided.
Daniel 2:20—21:
“Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
“It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.”
The 1819 painting by John Trumbull pictured above depicts the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Key figures include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. It is housed in the United States Capitol.
