Tuesday; June 14

Today is Flag Day. Over the last few years our society has diminished the importance of nationalistic symbols, but today, I would like to pay honor to our nation’s flag. Flag Day pays tribute to the Second Continental Congress who passed a resolution on June 14, 1777 that stated, “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white”. The document went on to say, “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation”. While the banner would change to represent the growth of the United States, the same basic design remained and, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially established June 14 as Flag Day. While our nation has experienced our share of challenges, one symbol that has stood tall is the American Flag. It is more than shreds of cloth sown together, it represents the fabric of our nation that is united in dedication to the concept of shared liberty and freedom.

As I thought about the American Flag, I was reminded of another “banner” that represents something special. Have you hear heard the phrase, “His banner over us is love”? Do you know where it comes from? It is actually taken from Solomon’s love story where the bride responds to her lover’s praise by saying, “He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.” (Song Of Solomon 2:4). Through the years, this phrase has been taken out of Solomon’s love story and applied to God’s relationship with His people. No, we don’t have a physical banner we fly over us, rather what we have is an overwhelming feeling that exists between us. God loves us enough to save us, we love Him enough to serve Him and His people love each other enough to support one another.

Today, let’s honor the nation that allows us to worship God freely by respecting the cloth banner that represents who we are. Yet, even more importantly, let’s bring honor every day to the God who created and sustains us by wrapping ourselves in genuine love.

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Thursday; May 3

I have a fish tank that allows my three Bettas (Larry, Darrell and Darrell) to live in the same structure, but remain hidden from each other – well sort of.   When I go to feed the fish, I believe that one of the Darrell’s can sort of see that the other Darrell is getting fed and he will linger over on that side of the tank even after I put his food in his tank.   I have to tap on the side of the tank where his food is floating to help him refocus and eat.   I get the impression that he is so interested in what is going on in the other Darrell’s tank that he can’t enjoy his own food. I have been told that the brain of a fish is pretty small – which explains their inability to process “blessings”, but are we guilty of the same malady as Darrell?   Are we so worried (or consumed) by what happens to the people around us that we fail to realize what is going on with us?   Are we envious of the blessings that others are receiving and end up missing out on what we have been given?   Are w
Read more

Thursday; February 14

         While most of us are familiar with today being Valentine’s Day, there are some who actually refer to February 14 th as “St. Valentine’s Day”.  This title is often affixed to a criminally historic event known as “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” on February 14, 1929 in Chicago, but that is another story for another time.  Not knowing much about the history of “Saint Valentine” I did a little research and found out he was a Roman religious leader who was martyred in 269 AD.  According to my limited research Valentine was killed because of his encouragement of Roman men (especially soldiers) to marry which was in violation of Claudias’ edict that prohibited marriage to keep their minds singularly focused on their task of defending the Empire.  Somehow, from this beginning – and possibly embellished by Chaucer – St. Valentine became intertwined with the concept of romantic love.           I am not really sure how February 14 th became connected with love, but inspired by thi
Read more

Wednesday; December 6

What does it mean to be a leader? I subscribe to the belief that a leader is someone who seeks the best for others and works with them to achieve their potential. There are others; however, who define leadership as the ability to have a vision and the tenacity to get their own way. Leaders who are this way are often portrayed as having developed the maturity to manipulate people to do things their way. However, is the ability to drive people in our direction mature or is it childish? The Christians of the 1st Century came from a lot of different backgrounds and had to work hard to work together. As the Apostle Paul challenged Christians in the city of Ephesus he challenged them to accept individual differences, “… until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. “ (Ephesians 4:13). Bossiness was not to be viewed as a sign of maturity, a willingness to wo
Read more