The Founders'
Sacrifice
Paul Perkins
July 5, 2004
Last night I went to Harvey’s Comedy Club, a
popular spot in downtown Portland. Since it was the eve of July
4th, the comedians joked about how great it was that American’s
celebrated the holiday with barbeque, beer, and fire. While they
might have been joking, and the crowd might have been laughing,
I thought that it revealed something troubling about America. I
suspect that most American’s seldom reflect upon the sacrifice
demonstrated on Independence Day many years ago. And it saddens
me that they fail to see an important example that all of us
can, and should, follow.
Some two-hundred and twenty-eight years ago,
America changed all of human history with the signatures of
fifty-six men on a piece of paper. The document they signed was
the Declaration of Independence – the text that broke ties with
Britain and set the course of the United States of America. This
document begins by justifying its necessity and setting out
government’s proper role. It then goes on to explain how their
mother country, Great Britain, and its King had tyrannically
violated their natural rights and the only resolution was
complete separation. On the page, before the ink of the
signatures, there is a single poignant line that many people
often skim past. It reads, “And for the support of this
Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our
fortunes and our sacred honor.”
This line is easily discarded and thought of as
nonsense – the hollow sacrifice of rich, privileged, white men.
This could not be further from the truth. In fact, of the
fifty-six that signed, five were captured and tortured by the
British – twelve had their homes destroyed – seventeen lost
their fortunes – the sons of two of the men were killed and
others were captured – and nine lost their lives in the war.
When these men signed this document, they knew they would be
considered traitors. They knew that many of them would be
captured and tortured. They knew that if they lost the ensuing
war, they would all be tried, convicted, disgraced, and killed.
They knew all of this, but they also knew that if they failed to
declare their independence – if they failed to break their ties
to tyranny and oppression – they would surely loose much more
than their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
When reflecting on the fourth of July, it’s
important to recognize the great sacrifice made so many years
ago. It’s also important to recognize the sacrifices made
throughout the years to uphold America’s freedom. But more than
all of this, when reflecting on July 4th, look at what you can
learn from these fifty-six men: they were willing to lay down
their life for freedom’s sake with the belief that God would
protect them.
Jesus tells us that if you wish to save your life,
you will lose it, and if you give up your life for His sake, you
will gain it (Matthew 16:25). Knowing that in giving up your
life, you might face hardship – you might be forced to choose a
career path you don’t naturally desire– you might have to
strangle a chronic sin in your life – you might have to humble
yourself and sit at the feet of your greatest enemies and serve
them – and you will have to destroy what you want in your life,
and instead respond to what God wants in your life – knowing
this, are you willing to sign the document, and with a firm
reliance on the protection of divine providence, pledge your
life, fortune and sacred honor? In signing your name, you are
giving up your life and risking so much, but in the end, life is
what you gain. But just like the founding fathers, the
temptation to leave your name off the record in an attempt to
save your life will only lead to not just the loss of your life,
but the loss of so much more.
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