Hi Americans, 4th of July is right around the corner! What will you be doing? Like any good American I will have some beers and watch patriotic fireworks in the countryside.
What American food will you be eating this 4th of July?
last time i was out of the country on the 4th, I was in China, hiking up some mountain. There was a shrine at the top so the mountain was a big tourist attraction as well as a site of pilgrimage, so there were lots of people but nearly all were Chinese. At some point though I remember we ran into a pair of hikers who were white going the opposite way as my group. They stopped, look at our group, and asked "Americans?" We all nodded and they shouted "Happy fourth of July!!"
that was the extent of my recognition of American Independence that year.
We have church services here all day which everyone attends, regardless of whether they believe or not, so that we can all pray as a community for America to find its way into the light.
We know we have more freedoms, and we weep for you America.
So on 4th July we pray that we might one day share them with you.