What Makes America Beautiful: The Spirit of Freedom
Why did so many people leave their home and country to sail in small wind-driven boats through unexplored seas to arrive in a country with little knowledge of what they would find upon arrival? Edmund Burke, a late 18th century Irish statesman and philosopher, concluded that it was “the spirit of freedom.” Was he right? Yes, because nobody wants to be chained, silenced or coerced. The spirit of freedom of free people is what makes America beautiful.
Being enslaved is not something Americans can imagine. We were born in freedom and we live each day as men and women without restrictions. We say what we think, we go where we want, we do what we like, we pray in the way we prefer and, at the same time, we respect the laws of man and God.
The brave predecessors of freedom (Abraham Lincoln called them “ancestors”) had first-hand knowledge of slavery, repression, and servitude.
At the beginning of the 17th century, a small group of pilgrims decided to live free or die. They boarded the Mayflower, a small ship with a crew of 30 and 102 passengers, and headed for an unexplored and unstable land. They brought only a few possessions, but they maintained generous faith and an overflowing thirst for freedom. Their journey across the Atlantic took 66 days from their departure on September 6 until they reached Cape Cod on November 9, 1620.
Imagine getting off that crowded little boat and realizing, “What? No Holiday Inn?” The pilgrims had to find food and water and literally make their own beds. Their arrival in November meant they faced a harsh winter unprepared in which half of them died. That is freedom, and it is not easy.
All people are born with a spirit of freedom. Ask anyone anywhere which they would prefer: someone who plans all aspects of their life or who is who they want to be?
Emma Lazarus, the Jewish activist and writer of the poem inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, says that Lady Liberty refers to “the crowded masses who yearn to breathe freely.” The “longing” is divinely infused into each of God’s children. Over 180 times, the word free and variations of the word (liberty, freely, etc.) can be found in the Bible. The psalmist cried out, “In my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and delivered me.” (Psalm 118: 5 ESV)
I remember joining Andy Williams in enthusiastically singing, “Born free, as free as the wind blows, as free as grass grows, Born free to follow your heart.” As I sang it, I felt the longing for Emma Lazarus, the pilgrims’ thirst for freedom, and the gratitude for all who sacrificed so that I could live free.
This spirit of freedom makes America beautiful, but it can be lost. Suppose we allow an ever-expanding government to stifle our speech, restrict our religion, control our movement, twist our history, cancel our culture, and burden our grandchildren with debt. In that case, our (your) freedom will become slavery and America will no longer be beautiful.
The spirit of freedom is costly and demanding, but the alternative is dire. The late great broadcaster, Paul Harvey, said: “After 4000 years, the elusive eagle of individual freedom has been captured and placed in our hands.” God, help us keep America beautiful.