What do you do with Independence?

If you are from the United States, our nation (this is my adopted nation) just celebrated its latest anniversary of Independence Day. As my family and I attended the mandatory (for my two "kids" and those of us who are kids at heart) celebratory picnic and fireworks this year, I pondered what does living in a free country means to us, as Christians.

By the way, here is one of the pictures I took this year:

Nikon D70s, f/16, 23.9 sec, ISO 200, 18-200mm at 40mm, location: Clarkston, Michigan, July 4th, 2008

In WORLD Magazine, issue July 12, 2008, there is an article (subscription may be needed to access the article) with the title of: "Lord, how long will I call and You will not answer?" by a Christian in Zimbabwe. It reminded to give thanks to the LORD for the freedom we enjoyed as residents and citizens of this nation.

Habakkuk 1:2 How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save.

The article started with the quotation from Habakkuk 1:2 above and followed with the confidence that if God was gracious then, He is gracious yet.

Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.

The author realized that the journey from Habakkuk 1:2 and 3:19 was a hard one and pleaded this to us, their brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world:

We need, please, for you to pray for us and for our land.

At the heart of the problem is the desire to cling on to power with whatever means necessary:

Slowly but steadily, well-planned and orchestrated, the violence has grown. In past elections votes could be bought, bought with food, bought with promises, bought with land. Now the food has run out, promises are seen to be hollow, land is taken and misused. Now, votes must be coerced, and coerced through violence.

In the rural areas, people are fleeing homes for fear of beatings, rape, pillaging, and the burning of their homes by gangs of youths armed and mandated by the government. In the cities, travelers are pulled from the public transportation vehicles and forced to recite the ruling party slogans or beaten.

I was in Jakarta, Indonesia, when similar violence happened in May 1998. Fleeing with my wife and 2-year-old daughter from the burning of our homes, rape, beatings and killing by similar gangs.

That particular congregation in Zimbabwe seek to remain faithful, to look to God, and honestly asking the Habakkuk questions. They pleaded that we prayed: (1) that they will understand God's larger purpose and be willing to endure with an eye on that, for the victims as well as the perpetrators, (2) for God's righteous judgment to come, for God to lift His powerful hand, for evil to be crushed, (3) that God will hear, and that God will act. And that suffering will cease.

And to that I will add (4) Lord, please use me in anyway You wish to spread real freedom that can only be found in the substitutionary death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the world enslaved by sin and its evil Slave-Master. And (5) in spreading freedom and justice to people under tyrannical governments.

As we celebrated the nation's Independence Day this year, let us pray the same things for this nation. We should never forget Whom to thank for the freedom that we enjoy in this nation.

--oOo--