{"id":430378,"date":"2017-07-04T07:02:03","date_gmt":"2017-07-04T12:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/?p=430378"},"modified":"2017-07-01T19:02:55","modified_gmt":"2017-07-02T00:02:55","slug":"july-4th-is-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/july-4th-is-love\/","title":{"rendered":"July 4th is Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

I know that today we’re supposed to think about the history of winning our independence. I do. I think that is OK. We think about freedom and the Constitution too. We are glad we don’t live somewhere there isn’t freedom. We are grateful to be Americans. We are proud of ourselves. That is cool. But July 4TH is also a birthday. And birthdays are times to appreciate people and show them you love them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

More than an ideal or a system of government, our country is people isn’t it? Politicians talk about “America” and the “American People.” \u00a0I wonder if they think- if any of us do- that “American People” also includes the homeless guy on the corner and the rich guy everyone is mad at and the frumpy lady nobody talks to and the family that insists on bringing the entire household to the grocery store and getting in everyone else’s way, or the guy on the news whose opinions are offensive to us or people who write cruel comments on the Internet- even the politician we think should probably do something more productive than cause trouble in our names?<\/p>\n

On July 4TH I think it’s worth considering, as people of the Gospel, that “America” is more than the flag or patriotic feelings about soldiers and wars won, or icons of our culture, though I know all of that is important. It can be about loving what we really are as a people.<\/em> We are lots of people. To love. To accept. And to serve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

“Love one another as I have loved you. ” ~ Jesus \u00a0(John 13:34)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Maybe July 4TH, with all that it is and all that it means, can also be a time to reflect on what love of country means to us as true Christians. This July 4TH, we could decide to expand our hearts and our minds to be more inclusive and intentional in love; to challenge ourselves to love, accept and serve the America we see every day- even the America in our house making a mess in the kitchen right now. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

July 4TH is about love- a certain kind of love: Love for our country.<\/p>\n

Our country is all around us- in every face we see.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I know that today we’re supposed to think about the history of winning our independence. I do. I think that is OK. We think about freedom and the Constitution too. We are glad we don’t live somewhere there isn’t freedom. We are grateful to be Americans. We are proud of ourselves. That is cool. But… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,90,110],"tags":[55,1587,94,3345,1660],"class_list":{"0":"post-430378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"category-faith-blog","8":"category-social-justice","9":"tag-catholic-2","10":"tag-christian-love","11":"tag-current-events","12":"tag-july-4th","13":"tag-spiritual-life","14":"entry","15":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18796,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/two-guys-a-girl-and-a-catholic-podcast-episode-59\/","url_meta":{"origin":430378,"position":0},"title":"Two Guys a Girl and a Catholic Podcast Episode 59: Blimp-diving 101","author":"2GGCP","date":"June 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Episode 59 [powerpress] Current Events: Introduce Laura Gonzalez - A morning person and a tech junkie. \u00a0What\u2019s the last gadget you purchased? Colorado Wildfires http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=10150928631813381&set=a.81766448380.78881.44428318380&type=1&theater http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=10150914853273271&set=a.305677238270.146133.294814128270&type=1&theater Affordable Care Act http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/court-ruling-allows-religious-freedom-lawsuits-to-proceed-with-hope\/ NAACP wants Texas lottery shut down http:\/\/dfw.cbslocal.com\/2012\/06\/27\/naacp-dallas-wants-texas-lottery-shut-down\/ Church News: July Theology on Tap: What\u2019s My Faith Got to do With\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast"","block_context":{"text":"Two Guys, a Girl and a Catholic Podcast","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/2guysagirl\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/2GGCP-LOGO2-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2870,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2011\/07\/as-american-as-dissatisfaction\/","url_meta":{"origin":430378,"position":1},"title":"As American as Dissatisfaction","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"July 4, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"We Americans live in a world of milk and honey made up of hamburgers, baseball, and apple pies. Sadly, even when we live in a world full of such riches and opportunity, we can\u2019t seem to have enough. Sure, times aren\u2019t as good as they have been in the past\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/flag.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":985980,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2018\/07\/the-american-personality-and-our-mission-as-catholics\/","url_meta":{"origin":430378,"position":2},"title":"The American Personality and our Mission as Catholics","author":"Rachel","date":"July 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It is a day to celebrate, to be with loved ones, and to pray for our nation. Let it also be a day to reflect on who we are, and who are called to be! What is our mission as Catholics in the US? And what does it mean to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/The-American-Personality.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/The-American-Personality.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/The-American-Personality.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/The-American-Personality.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18336,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/two-guys-a-girl-and-a-catholic-podcast-episode-58-we-be-on-stitcher\/","url_meta":{"origin":430378,"position":3},"title":"Two Guys a Girl and a Catholic Podcast Episode 58: We Be On Stitcher","author":"2GGCP","date":"June 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Episode 58 [powerpress] Feedback: Our show is now on Stitcher! 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