Last fall we took a trip to New England with some friends, and part of our trip included a walking tour of the Freedom Trail covering several historic landmarks in Boston dedicated to the time of the Revolutionary War. Over the last couple of years, we’ve also visited Thomas’ Jefferson’s Monticello and Washington’s Mt. Vernon. Each of those places presents a unique perspective on those who were pivotal to the founding of the United States of America.

While we haven’t always lived up to the lofty ideals of our founding documents, the origins of the United States of America are worth celebrating as we will do on the 250th anniversary of the United States this weekend, While many today seem intent on tearing the country apart, a birthday is a reason to celebrate what unites us as Americans and that begins with the words written in the Declaration of Independence.

We know the familiar line –

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

But near the end of the document we read –

“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.”

At Thomas Jefferson’s estate last fall, we learned about the primary author of the Declaration. Jefferson was a complicated man to say the least and his edited version of the Bible was controversial as it focused on the life, morals and parables of Jesus and ignored the core message of salvation. He probably didn’t consider himself to be a traditional Christian, but according to the Jefferson Bible website, “Jefferson’s goal was to clarify the teachings of Jesus which he believed provided “the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man.”

Another founding father, John Adams, wrote in a letter to the Massachusetts Militia, “because we have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge or Gallantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Finally, George Washington’s farewell address included this passage, “Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

While all of these men were imperfect, they did acknowledge the critical role faith plays in the functioning of the nation they founded and that faith was rooted in the teachings of the Old and New Testaments.

The Declaration begins with a simple list of rights descending from their Creator and ends with an expectation of Divine protection. While we celebrate the birthday, let us recommit to the ideals and hopes of the country.