First Baptist Church of Herndon

Red, white, and blues

Linda Soller | Jul 08, 2013

One reason I love the 4th of July is that it is a holiday where the celebration is really community oriented. Think about it for a minute. We are encouraged to be outside, at picnics, at parades, at the pool, or the fireworks show. It’s actually okay to make noise after dark. Even grown-ups can cheer and clap for the bright explosions of light in the sky. It is informal; shorts are allowed. I myself have sweltered under beach towels and hats on more than one steamy 4^th of July night hoping the mosquitoes can’t find my skin because I was bound and determined to see the fireworks. We gather as a community of citizens to celebrate our heritage of freedom, a real red letter day!

Then again for some it’s not so much fun. There are the folks who set up and shoot off the fireworks, the police who direct the traffic, lifeguards at the pools, and town employees who have the clean-up job after the fact, just to name a few. I was in a store last weekend and heard the lady behind the counter telling her customer that their store would be closed on the 4^th. The customer was surprised and momentarily irritated. It seems she had plans to shop that day. The employee on the other hand was so excited to be able to spend the holiday with family and friends. It is too easy for us to forget about the people who work so we make our last minute run to the store for hotdogs or ice. A huge part of our society lives in a black or white world where they need to work and the holiday is just another work day. It is what it is for them with no gray area and no choice. They are part of a whole community of people who work so that another whole community of people can play.

Another, sometimes forgotten group, are those who don’t find the holiday so joyful. You know who I am talking about; those people who find holidays stressful or who connect the holiday of the month with a sad memory and opt out of the cook-out or go to bed before the fireworks. They value the meaning behind the holiday, but they exercise their freedom to not participate. We need to be careful not to overlook those around us with the blues. Holidays are not everyone’s cup of tea.

Yes we live in a country of red, white, and blues. While we treasure the freedoms we have in this country and appreciate the many blessings God has bestowed upon us we need to be careful to remember those who may not have the ability to join in our celebration. The reasons that keep them from joining our fun are many, and valid, and not for us to judge. Another 4^th of July has come and gone. All too quickly we lose our patriotic spirit and return to our routines. This year I encourage you to take the red, white, and blues with you. Think of the communities of people who make up your neighborhood, our country, our world as you celebrate each day God gives you.

Have a great week :o) Linda