June 28th Essay: By the Rivers of Babylon
In a week’s time we will observe the 4th day of July as the day independence was declared from an autocratic sovereign whose only interest in the 13 colonies was how much of its wealth he could extract to fill his private coffers. The tax on tea, a commodity that fueled the emerging economy of the colonies, was more than what the founding fathers of this country could tolerate. Independence from the tyranny that ruled their lives was their goal. On July 4, 1776, an era of unprecedented freedom was inaugurated, a date etched into the tablet firmly held in the arm of Lady Liberty who stands tall in our harbor as a bright beacon of hope to those “yearning to breathe free.” By tradition, in every hamlet, town and city of our nation we commemorate the day of the publication of the Declaration of Independence with its recitation and with parades, fireworks, cook-outs, and the singing of patriotic songs.
If you have not read the Declaration of Independence recently or at all, I suggest you read it this year. Each year for as long as I can remember I have read it to remind myself of the country we aspire to be and my role in it. I have also joined friends in a communal reading of the Declaration of Independence as we gathered in fellowship with hot dogs and beer to celebrate something all too many of us have taken for granted. The words of that document matter, and it is our responsibility to honor them by remaining faithful to the spirit they enshrine. Far too many women and men have died for our country so that we could live in freedom as a nation governed by the rule of law, a country where justice, truth, and integrity matter more than personal enrichment.
It is with a humble sense of pride and thanksgiving that we sing patriotic songs to celebrate the gifts of freedom and liberty and of a verdant land shining from sea to sea. Sadly, as I reflect upon this year’s observance of the 4th day of July, I am reminded of the opening verses of Psalm 137:
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said. “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you.
Tragically we live today in a foreign land. We are a divided nation. We are at odds in our understanding of what it means to profess ourselves as the land of the free and the home of the brave. Freedom has become a commodity that is selfishly clutched in the hands of the highest bidder. The pandering of fear has ruptured relationships that heretofore were tranquil and civil, even in the face of disagreement. Truth has been compromised with such guile that we exist in a state of bewilderment. Bombast is seen as a sign of strength, and gilded adornments as greatness. I seriously doubt that the founding fathers envisioned what is occurring in our country as the blossoming of their ideals and principles.
To me, the words of our patriotic songs ring hollow this year. How can we sing the songs of our great nation while living in a foreign land? At another significant moment in history, we were a nation divided. The blood on the fields of Gettysburg, Antietam, and Shiloh is a tragic testament to that reality. The insurrection of January 6, 2021 is all too fresh in our memory. Fractured at times, our democratic nation remains a work in progress. Our strength is in our unity, the same unity that freed the colonists from the madness of King George III and discredited those who sowed the seeds of discord and fear in order to divide our nation and profit from it.
The framers of the Declaration of Independence had an unwavering trust in God, the same trust in God’s providential care that buoyed the spirits of the Israelites as they journeyed back to their homeland, singing once again the songs of Zion. As we approach the 4th day of July this year, may we, as a united nation, recommit ourselves to the values, principles, and ideals of our cherished founding document and place our trust in God alone. Let us also be mindful of the words of God to the Israelites that apply equally to us in the times in which we live: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11)
May God bless America, a land that we love!
— Dennis J. Yesalonia, S.J., Pastor