True Patriots – Sunday, July 05, 1998
Great nations are made of great people, willing to be inconvenienced and ready to defend the liberties they hold dear. The constitution, government, natural resources, or historic victories alone cannot ensure freedom or prosperity. Ultimately, a nation’s strength and promise are found in its people.
The informed voter, the ready volunteer, the tried-and-true veteran, the Girl or Boy scout—all contribute to the well-being of a nation, just as our founding fathers did in their time.
Each individual’s contribution is significant. One historian noted how uniquely suited George Washington was to be the first President of the United States. He wrote: “. . . if Washington had refused to accept his election to the Presidency, if he had stayed at Mount Vernon, as he wanted desperately to do, another man . . . would have been the first President of the United States, and that could easily have meant the undoing of the Constitution.”1 But Washington was willing to be inconvenienced, willing to serve the land he loved and the liberties for which he fought. And the impact of his personal sacrifice is immeasurable.
Our community service may not be on so grand a scale, but in our corner of our community it is just as vital. The unheralded service of a retired couple in a small town has become a favorite tradition for the other 5,000 residents. At the crack of dawn on every national holiday, this couple arises and lines the main street with flags. Their efforts often go without thanks, as most of the townspeople don’t know who places the flags. But their service is gratifying enough, because, to them, the flag is a sacred symbol. The man is a veteran, and both are patriots and volunteers. They love their country and, even in their advancing years, find ways to serve it.
History is built upon such patriots’ dreams. An inspired idea takes root in their souls, they work to make it a reality, and we’re all the better for it. True patriots put in time, effort, and untold energy to make their town, their nation, the kind of place they’d like it to be. God bless those who bless our nations.
1Clinton Rossiter, “Our Two Great Presidents,” selected from A Sense of History: the Best Writing from the Pages of American Heritage (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985), 107.
July 05, 1998
Broadcast Number 3,594