A Significant Oath

Yesterday, on July 4th, I had the opportunity to participate in the Independence Day Parade for my city, Winter Park, in Central Florida.  I am currently serving on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and as a member of the Board, we serve, in one sense, as the hosts for the city’s annual celebration.  It was a joy to get to play a small role.

 

Later that morning, the city then served as the location for a Naturalization Ceremony for about 25 brand new citizens.  Have you ever heard or read the Oath of Allegiance that every citizen takes?  I had not.  I knew that there was a test to go through, and that in some senses, it was a challenge to people.  As I listened, I thought how powerful and direct that oath was.  In fact, I wondered that everyone of us should have to raise our right hands and swear to this oath.  Look at it:

 

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

Note the start—a clear renouncing of “all allegiance and fidelity” to their former state.  There were people from a variety of states, including Cuba, the United Kingdom and Canada.  This sentence is calling the new potential citizens to make this place their home.  RENOUNCE.  Very powerful word.  It’s not a “continue to hang on to loyalty to the other place, but enjoy the benefits of this other place too.”  It’s renounce the connection; it’s as if “you need to stop saying you are from X nation/place.”   This, perhaps, is one of the strongest reasons that people like me continue to be upset about illegal immigrants…especially those who come here, work and send their money back to the other nation.

 

After the statement of renouncing, look then at what they are called to.  First to support and defend the Constitution.  Did you realize that you, as a natural born citizen, that you too are called to such a stand? Maybe we should start with actually reading what is in the Constitution.  One of my professor friends told me that he was taking a “book on tape” sort of college course about the Constitution, admitting that he didn’t really know much of what it said.  I would imagine that he, a college professor who hasn’t studied the document, knows more than most…that’s the tragedy of our times.  We, as citizens, are called to support and defend something that we don’t even know what is written.

 

I will “bear arms on behalf” of the country.  That’s a nice way of saying “you will serve if drafted in our military defense.”  Yet again, I wonder how many citizens these days would know they are called to that service?  Worse, I doubt seriously that many would do so.  Some would, but I fear others would either run away (like those in the time of Vietnam) or serve begrudgingly.

 

The service goes beyond bearing arms.  The swore an oath to perform acts of service during war even if not drafted into the military.  Perhaps even more interesting, they promised to “perform work of national importance” when required.  That would mean, for instance, if the government required that every able bodied person help build a road or respond to aid after a natural disaster, you are required by oath to help out if asked.

 

Did you know that?  Well, maybe you didn’t promise…but these people did.  You, if you were born here, were simply expected to understand that this is your home and you would be willing to help however asked.  One of the tragedies of our time, living after World War II, is that we are so addicted to luxury and ease, I think that most people would not have the strength of character or physical ability to actually help out.  Worse, maybe, is that we all feel so entitled to our luxury, we would look around wondering who had the audacity to ask, no demand, for our effort.

 

Maybe the greatest thing you could do over this week of thinking about our Independence Day is to remind yourself of the great blessing, and thus great debt you owe, for this country of your birth.  It’s not perfect, and I think we are heading into the Great Crisis of our time, so we have challenges that are deep.  But you should remind yourself of this Oath of Allegiance that our newly-minted citizens took…and read it deeply.  They have to say this oath that is meant to tell them of the expectations on them to match the attitude and effort of the natural-born citizens.

 

Are you focused?  Are you living out this oath of a citizen?  Am I?  Let’s commit together to be the best citizens we can be.  The nation needs us now.