THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607030277
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY THE REV. TIMOTHY L. PILAND
LENGTH: 92 lines
THIS IS THE TIME of the year to break out that old ``hand crank'' ice cream freezer, your favorite lemonade recipe, and the best apple pie that ever graced a palate. It's the time for Uncle Sam hats, fireworks, waving the ``red, white and blue'' and a time for family.
Remember those picnics of the past when everybody would gather in the country at the big, old farmhouse? They were a masterpiece of family fun and American pride. Everyone was there, from the newest member of the clan to great-grandmother. The oldest would sit together under big trees while the children raced from place to place with cousins who were more like brothers and sisters than distant relatives. Of course, there was always a ``story teller'' in the group, that elderly gentleman who would whittle with an old pocket knife while spinning yarns that filled the minds of children with lifelong mental images of what life used to really be like.
The Fourth of July! It was a great time to be a kid.
How things have changed! Today, it would be difficult to interest most children in even going to the country. After all, what's life without TV, a boom box, Nintendo or a theme park? We parents are not much different. We long for a day off to get caught up on some of that yard work, to go fishing, golfing or just be left alone! And what of the community gatherings? They've changed, too. I recently heard of a Fourth of July parade that published the stipulation that participants could not use religious or political themes. Our world is changing. It's all right to hand out condoms in school, but you dare not promote your faith in public. Oh, and the big farmhouse where we used to gather for those picnics? Our grandparents had to sell it because they could no longer afford the real estate taxes! I wonder what the 56 signers of our Declaration of Independence would say to that! It seems I recall that they had a pretty big ``tea party'' over the issue of taxes!
Some might say, ``You're being `negative.' '' No, I just miss the picnics! I miss the America that placed ``In God We Trust'' upon its currency, a land where principle was more important than possessions, and integrity was an expectation, not an exception. I miss the nation where ``Patriot Dreams'' was a vision of liberty, not license, and where brave men and women committed themselves to ``what'' was right and not just what was right for them. Oh, patriotism still exists in Bosnia and Saudi Arabia and the hundred other places where we go or will go to ensure liberty. How well I remember the early morning hours when I walked down that flight line in Southeast Asia. Row after row of armed F-4s awaited the day's sorties over North Vietnam. I remember the debriefings as the pilots returned, their stories of near-misses and direct hits. Of course, there were those who did not return. It was all in a day's work, but it was more. As young David said as he made his way off to face Goliath, ``Is there not a cause?'' Yes, we had a cause. It was a cause of ``liberty and justice for all,'' and that was worth dying for! Those principles still exist ``on the books,'' but, unfortunately, they are sadly lacking in our own neighborhoods and in our schools.
When a painter paints his masterpiece, he spreads his oils over the canvas and that fabric becomes the foundation that holds his work together. I suggest to you that the fabric upon which our forefathers ``painted'' this Republic is found in their unwavering devotion to the sovereign God who made men free. It is found in their uncompromising and unashamed commitment to biblical principles, one of which is, ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' It's made of love and sacrifice and the Ten Commandments. It's found in church and family and friends . . . yes, and in picnics! It is a strong fabric, closely knit together, and it has made this nation great.
It's time to wave the flag, but more than that, it is time to rekindle the patriotic spirit that set our nation's course 220 years ago. We must teach godly principles to our children, care for our elderly, and learn again to respect hard work, personal responsibility and character. If we don't, we will follow the lead of every other nation that set aside morality and decency, who lived selfishly and in the expectation of getting something for nothing, and who ended up in chaos and revolution, destroying themselves! Some say that it cannot happen here. I say that we are well on our way!
Today, we celebrate the birth of a nation. Let us also celebrate a rebirth of love for the principles that inspired that nation. Let us recommit ourselves to the ``American Dream,'' not the dream of a house with two cars in the garage, but the vision of a home that is safe and secure, and where children can enjoy and add to a godly legacy. We CAN go back. Look hard, and you will still find those old recipes for homemade ice cream and hot apple pie! MEMO: The Rev. Timothy L. Piland is pastor of the Nansemond River
Baptist Church, 2896 Bridge Road, Suffolk. During his six years as
pastor, the church has grown significantly and recently held
ground-breaking ceremonies for a new worship center. Piland has been in
the Air Force 26 years and presently holds the rank of lieutenant
colonel in the Reserves. He is assigned to Headquarters, Eighth Air
Force, Public Affairs Directorate, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
The Rev. Timothy L. Piland has been pastor of the Nansemond River
Baptist Church for six years. by CNB