Freedom's Price
By Cheryl Courtney Semick
"He who dwells in
the secret place of
the Most High Shall
abide under the shadow
of the Almighty. I will
say of the Lord, 'He
is my refuge and my
fortress; My God, in
Him I will trust."
Psalm 91:1-2
e the people of the United States will celebrate our independence this month. As we pull out the red, white and blue and make much noise, let’s not just spend the day overindulging in massive amounts of festive delectable’s sitting around waiting for the big light show at dusk. Rather, let us pause in silent respect for those who paid freedom’s price.
Freedom is one of those privileges whose cost can be quickly forgotten by those who did not pay for it. Like other yearly remembrances, the Fourth of July seems to have slipped into the list of paid holidays as if it was another one of our rights. But this year, I encourage you to look into the eyes of a veteran and see the battle that paid for your rights. Their mind’s eye keeps daily account of every expense.
Stand next to a veteran when the National Anthem is played and you will see that their right hand still covers their heart with pride when our flag is raised. You will hear their trembling voice sing each note with humility and reverence. The tear that drops from their eye falls in memory of those who fell beside them on a field of blood.
I always choke back tears when I see these brave men and women during the fireworks. They stand so still – as if their own hearts could explode, shooting out endless tales of pain and sorrow spun on the shores of other worlds. Their humble silence is far louder than all the noise we could possibly muster. It rises above the meaningless jabber of those whose hands are buried in their coolers and whose mouths have yet to learn words that contain more than four letters.
Theirs is a holy silence; a stance of honor.
These are the ones who truly understand independence. They understand that being independent doesn’t mean they are free from all restraint, free from all rules or authority, but rather, free from tyranny and oppression. Not free to do whatever they want whenever they want – but free to unite and agree and to live in peace. These brave soldiers served under command and obeyed their officers to win the rights that we all enjoy on a daily basis. It took obedience, unity, courage and sacrifice.
Sadly, the tragedy in freedom is that blood must be shed. We may not all agree with that, but history records this truth. And despite all the analytical condemnation that surrounds every war, of this I am sure: we are a nation that will not stand still at injustice to any human nor turn a blind eye to the oppressed. I like that about my country.
I like that about my God, too. It is He who taught our forefathers to love and respect all humans and treat them as equals. It is He who gave our soldiers the victory over tyranny so that America could become the land of the free. It is God who we chose to
put our trust in from the very beginning. So much so, that we still proclaim it on our currency. May we never take for granted the price of our freedom; may we never forget how God has blessed America!