Freedom's Fireworks

The earliest memories I have of the Fourth of July, Independence Day, are of sitting on a grassy hill with my grandparents, licking a See's caramel lollipop, and watching the fireworks display. To my four-year-old eyes it was all quite amazing.

Fireworks used to be a sign of great rejoicing at some great victory or deliverance from some despotic oppressor. If the Israelites had possessed fireworks certainly they would have been a part of Miriam's celebration of Israel's escape through the Red Sea and God's destruction of the Egyptian army, or to celebrate the long-awaited birth of Abraham's son Isaac, or perhaps the routing of the Philistine army after David's duel with Goliath. It's not a stretch for me to imagine that there are fireworks in heaven every time a sinner responds in faith to the gospel message (Luke 15:10), or to hear the angelic victory shout when a Christian overcomes some temptation to walk in obedience, the loving response of discipleship.

It is an oppressed man's burning desire for freedom that makes him willing to sacrifice everything to obtain it, if not for himself then for his family and countrymen. And when they are finally free they rejoice. However, those who never realize that they live in bondage, desire only their own pleasure, and unknowingly are selling their souls for a show. I wonder if we don't know too much about what makes for a good show and have too little firsthand experience of the joy that comes with true deliverance and freedom.

This year as we celebrate our country's freedom, let us remember that freedom requires sacrifice. Brave men and women established this country's independence at a great personal cost nearly 239 years ago. I don't think we can fully experience the joy of political liberty on Independence Day unless we have lived without it. Most of us have not experienced the oppressions (past and present) under fascist, communist, or Islamist governments. Perhaps if you are a minority group in the midst of an insensitive dominant culture you have known systemic racism and prejudice even here in America. However, we have all known the oppression of sin and death working in our lives and families. Yet, we can know a much deeper joy as we are reminded of the great victory and deliverance Jesus has worked on our behalf! The very colors of our flag, the red, white, and blue, so prominent during this season can serve to remind us of the freedom we have in Jesus Christ (John 8:36) and motivate us to stand with the oppressed and huddled masses wherever we may find them.
 

Red—Rose red, the color of love. God's love poured out on us in the person of his Son. Sin red, the color of our guilt (Isaiah 1:18). Blood red, the color of the covenant. Jesus shed his precious blood to purchase our freedom from sin and death if we confess our guilt and repent (1 John 1:9) not just as individuals but as a society. Red reminds us to take up our cross and follow him... "loving not our own lives even unto death" (Rev. 12:11).

White—Pure white, the color of innocence, peace, and healing. Through Jesus' death on the cross, we have been washed whiter than snow. We have been justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, not by our own works or ethnicity. We can now stand before God, white and clean, just as if we had never sinned. We surrender our rights for the sake of peace and leverage our privilege for justice and the healing of the sick and injured, in love binding up their wounds.

Blue—True blue, the color of undying loyalty reminds us of God's faithfulness and of our commitment to him. Heavenly blue, the color of our eternal hope in Christ. The reminder that when we follow Jesus, we have eternal life to look forward to—no matter what our current circumstances may be. It reminds me that we are not accepted by God because we are worthy, but because he is, and he has invited us all into his family. 

Here is a brief clip of the July 4th, 2015 fireworks from our local Minor League Baseball team, the Hillsboro Hops.