On the Eve of the 238th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I find myself thinking how far we have come since 1776. Even more amazing than the United States’ 238 years is that Brandywine Baptist Church has been serving God and the Brandywine Valley for 322 years, since 1692. As a church, and as Americans, we all have seen a dramatic shift in our nation’s thinking about the source of our freedom we’ve enjoyed for 238 years and about the concept of equality.
The declaration of independence begins by saying, “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
“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.”
These truths are indeed self-evident that all men, all women, all people, Caucasian, black, Latino, Asian, whether they be straight, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, Christian, atheist, Republican, Democrat, independent, documented, undocumented, etc. are all created equal. The operative word here is “created.” The Declaration also adds that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
All people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This does not mean that courts have the right to legislate this happiness from the bench, but rather that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue said happiness. As we pursue happiness we recognize that we also have the right to choose our lifestyle that would make us happy. Despite this, we should be aware that what we might believe makes us happy might be something that actually displeases God making our pursuit, spiritually counterproductive.
All people also have the right to be treated equally. Sadly, 238 years after our nation’s founding, 51 years post the March on Washington, and 45 years since the Stonewall Riots many have gained some rights but many in our society still are not treated as equal. I believe we still have an inequality problem today because many in America have forgotten that the source for our equality comes from that fact that we are “created” equal. God purposefully created us to be equal.
Most Christians still believe that Genesis 1-2 is in fact true, that God created humanity. We know from the Bible that Eve was created as a helper to Adam for it was not good for him to be alone. Adam and Eve were equal in the eyes of God. It is not until what we as Christians would call the “fall of mankind” that we begin to see inequality enter the world. For centuries we have seen all forms of racism, sexism, ageism, classism and inequality. These are products of the fall; of sin.
Equality in God’s eyes is about value not role, ability or status. We cannot be a “free” nation if people are not treated with value, respect and equality. We know that in the beginning “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;” (Genesis 1:27). There are different ethnicities, cultures, and people of all backgrounds but in God’s eyes all are created in his image and because of this there is only one group of people, one race, the human race. Racism like sexism, ageism etc. are again a product of sin and it is evil. Since the beginning of time we have seen that these evil ways of thinking have existed in every nation.
While inequality still exists we must know that, just like God has worked out his plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, He has also continued to work to restore all of creation to the way it was originally intended to be (Romans 8:19-23). Until the shalom of God is once again restored, we have the hope in Christ that despite the evil world we live in, Christ still provides and brings redemption in this present life. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28)” In Christ, racism, classism, sexism, inequality and discrimination cannot exist.
We live in the greatest nation on earth. Part of the reason we are great is because we are a diverse nation. God has allowed the United States to be populated by men and women of every color, every language, and every background. Let us remember how God has blessed us. Let us use the freedom we have in this nation to speak freely and proclaim the good news that Jesus “is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:14-18).”
As we celebrate another July 4, there is still much division and disunity. Our founding fathers declared independence from Great Britain to have freedom and to be treated as equal. The Declaration states essentially that the United States had the right to be “separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them.” Likewise we as the creation of Nature’s God are all entitled on this 238th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to recognize that while we might be separated by differences in opinion, religion, political view, sexual identity, geography, etc. we are endowed by our Creator God to have the right to be treated as equals. Perhaps if we do so and treat each other with respect we can actually dialogue about our differences and work towards unity and equal treatment in our diversity.
Rev. Marcos O. Almonte is senior pastor at Brandywine Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church west of Philadelphia. Pastor Marcos is a graduate of Palmer Theological Seminary with more than 10 years working with families with an expertise in theology, trauma and addictions. Pastor Marcos and his wife Mary have three children, Carmen, Joseph, and Lincoln.
