American Joy

Welcome back.  Thanks being here again.  I hope my post finds you healthy, happy, and eager to celebrate our nation’s birth and rebirth.  The morning and the day have compelled me to wait for my Gettysburg reflection until later. 

How fascinating it is to live in a nation that has so many holy days.  Well, we call them holidays, I suppose to create a one iota degree of separation so the word “holy” gets its just due as a day set aside for piety only. 

Incidentally, the letter “I” figures very prominently in Christian theological history insofar as it stoked religious bigotry over Trinitarian concerns. 

Google the following words and enjoy the tour of another silly Christian argument turned bloody:  homouisia and homousia.

Holidays are set aside for reflection and fun.  Each has their tradition. 

We have New Year’s Day to reflect on the past year and the coming new year.

 

Dr. King’s holiday celebrates justice (imagine that: a holiday celebrating justice—neat) and the Civil Rights Movement.

President’s Day celebrates two of our best.

Valentine’s Day celebrates love.

April Fool’s Day celebrates funny stuff.

Veteran’s Day celebrates those who served and those whom we happily know are still with us.

Memorial Day remembers those who served and sacrificed their lives as well as those veterans who have passed on.

Independence Day celebrates the birth of our nation and the time it was born again at Gettysburg.

Labor Day celebrates the Labor Movement and all Americans who work for a living.

Halloween celebrates scary stuff.

Thanksgiving celebrates being grateful (only in America are we so blessed and happy enough to celebrate blessings in a holiday).

Christmas celebrates Jesus’s birthday with nativity scenes and Santa Claus.  It is celebrated again on January 6^th.  We include Hanukah and Kwanzaa so all Americans have a reason to celebrate a holiday that is meaningful to them and their traditions.

Did I overlook one?  There are so many, it’s easy to do. 

A nation with that many reasons to celebrate and for those reasons has an underlying layer of joy in its national spirit. 

If you are looking for where God is in America, you might consider any place where there is joy.

I hope you and yours have the best Independence Day ever.  I hope to see you here later when I will write about God and Gettysburg. 

Thanks for being here.  Blessings…