Independence Day Weekend

On July 4th, the nation will celebrate the drafting and ratification of the Declaration of Independence when the colonies voted that they were free of rule by Great Britain. Did you know that it was not a unanimous vote? Only nine voted for it after four days of intense debate and alterations to the original draft penned by Thomas Jefferson and a committee of five. The very definition of Independence is “the state or quality of being independent, freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.”

As Americans, we like to think of ourselves as independent but that is really not the case. My husband and I have recently watched a tv show called “Alone.” Ten participants are placed in a remote wilderness to see who can last the longest. The people are mostly free and independent. They have periodic medical checks by the production staff to ensure that they are healthy enough to stay and not do irreversible damage to their bodies. So they not really independent because they have support and aid from the crew.

But the most surprising thing about the show was that most of the people did not leave due to starvation (and there was a lot of that) but because of intense loneliness. Even the woman who lived alone lamented about her isolation from other people and her family. I said to my husband “This just goes to prove that humans are pack animals.” He wasn’t sure that he agreed with me. But statistics show that people in isolation suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts. And even though we are connected virtually, the rate of loneliness in our country has escalated.

The woman who made my wedding dress attended my home church. She told me during a fitting once that she went to church because it was the only time people touched her all week. I had never considered that that might be a reason to gather with the body of Christ. This Sunday we will gather for only one service at 10:00 am and then we will gather around table together for our pot luck air conditioned picnic in the Great Hall. Yes, this week we celebrate our freedom from a foreign power over the the immigrants in our colonies-the creation of a new nation. But let us also remember to celebrate the ties that bind us together as One Church, One Body especially for those who are lonely. I hope you will invite someone to join you who maybe needs a little time being less independent. I have invited the mission team that is living at Faith to join us. They have responded to the crises in our midst by leaving their homes and supporting us. Make sure to introduce yourselves and say thank you.

Love,