A Revolutionary Idea

Jul 2

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary…to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Do you want to experience life to the fullest? Do you want to have life and to have life in abundance? Do you want to achieve true and lasting happiness? Then follow the examaple of Jesus by embracing the responsibilities that come with all three!

How can we do that?

(1) Seek good by promoting the God-given, unalienable gifts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with others, and;

(2) Cast away the tyranny of anything that threatens or diminishes these same God-given, unalienable rights.

Using the language of the Salesian tradition, we are most free when we live with integrity, that is, when we see our love for God, self, and others less as a “to-do” list and more as a comprehensive way of life.

As we celebrate the 249th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, how might we experience life, liberty, and happiness in the course of our own human events today? The answer is by doing our best (and making the sacrifices necessary) to fashion families, communities, and a nation in which all people are empowered to make good use of their God-given freedom to serve the needs of one another.

A revolutionary idea, indeed!