Land of the Free

As Americans, we take a great deal of pride in our FREEDOM. It's a word, a meaning, a way of life, we hold to be one of the cornerstones of our society. As a Marine Corps veteran, it was one of those words we held dear, that while we (me and my brother Marines) were not enjoying as much freedom as a civilian would, we nonetheless were training for and accomplishing missions that were helping those citizens maintain that freedom we all hold so dear.

So as Christians Americans, it may seem that God is calling on us to live in a way that isn't very American. That Christian ideals and standards are somehow un-American, anti-freedom, even hateful! When Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness are your nation's mission statement, it seems to some that God requires us to reject the very truths they hold to be self-evident (and interestingly enough, endowed to them by the creator Himself!)

Is Christian American an oxymoron? Are we really just hate-filled right-wing nuts bent on the destruction of freedom?

Galatians 5:13-15 (NIV) states: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

As a Christian, I am called to be free. As an American, doubly so! I hold it to be self-evident truth that my Creator endowed me with not only the right to life, but he created me and gave that life to me. He further endowed me with liberty so that I might pursue the hapiness that comes from loving my neighbor. I thank God each day that I was born an American. I thank God each day that I was born into His family through baptism. I thank God each day for the freedom to live free and happy in a world He created, in a body He created and owns, and in a way He has taught me. God Bless America, and God Bless the men and women serving today that keep us free. (Can you tell I watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tonight? - Ooo-Rah SSgt Gilyeat, Welcome Home and God Bless you and your family)