An Independence Day Reflection

some thoughts on the land

This Independence Day, I’m contemplating how lucky we are to live with such a beautiful land. The diversity of ecosystems, climates, and creatures is honestly breathtaking. While I’ve only personally seen a small part of this country, I have a great appreciation for her beauty and grace.

When I kayak, hike, or just spend time outside, I feel close to God and believe that such a beautiful world must be the reflection of a beautiful Creator.

But being aware of this beauty also makes me sad. Living our busy lives and being constantly engaged in technology makes it so easy to forget that we are part of the wilderness. We shouldn’t just live in it or on it but with it as caretakers and symbiotic partners.

I also imagine today what this land must have looked like before land “development.” I think about what wonders the Native Americans must have witnessed as they lived in simple partnership with the land.

We have been given many freedoms in our country, but do we use our independence to better able us to appreciate, care for, and celebrate the land upon which we live? To love our neighbors as ourselves? To exercise an intense, sacrificial love for even our enemies? Or do we use our independence to retreat into our personal freedoms, consumerism, and fierce individualism?

Wendell Berry said in his book “The Need to Be Whole” that true patriotism is a love for the land under one’s feet, not a love of an abstract form of government or political idea or ideal.

What will we do with these freedoms we celebrate? How will we spend our time, money, and energy? How can we best live out our independence?

Happy Independence Day!