Interdependent Celebration of Independence Day

I just got back from a wonderful Fourth of July Celebration at the Riverside Pavilion at Little Rock. There was a great orchestra, terrific fireworks and a lot of people from every ethnic group in town. Everybody was clapping, singing and oohing to the fireworks together to celebrate Independence Day, the Fourth of July. During the concert as the orchestra played the theme songs from each of the five branches of the Military service, they asked people who had served in that branch to stand up and we clapped for each of them. It was a great time to affirm how much we depend on each other. I realized that the way we celebrate our Independence Day is to celebrate our Interdependence. And that's good. Because in truth no person is completely independent any more than any nation is completely independent. We depend upon each other.

I was reading a book yesterday by an Hawaiian pastor, Wayne Cordiero "Doing Church as a Team". He writes "The bottom line of this book is that you can't do it alone. If you want to be a successful leader- if you plan to have a successful ministry- then you must develop not only your own gifts abut also the gifts of those around you." (p. 11) He is articulating a principal I am exploring in Trinitarian Leadership. Even Jesus didn't do his work of ministry alone. He was in constant conversation with the Father. He was always listening to and aware of the Holy Spirit (even as the Spirit drove him into the wilderness). And the first thing Jesus did in his earthly ministry was to call disciples to share with him in ministry and mission. Jesus/God the Father/God the Spirit are mutually dependent even as they are independent and fully self differentiated. We are too. We need each other in the church. We need the Triune God. And as we live in that interdependent community we are free to serve God in ways we could never have imagined serving alone.

Earlier in the day, Joan and I also went to the Heiffer Corporate headquarters and it further reinforced our interdependence with other people, animals and nations. Heiffer is an organization that provides cows,or goats or other livestock or crops to third world countries as part of an effort to enable them to become economically self sufficient. In addition we learned how choices we make as we eat breakfast or go grocery shopping will effect the rest of the world. We are not alone. Decisions we make about the coffee we drink affect the coffee bean grower as far away as Columbia. So happy Independence Day! I hope you found some wonderfully Interpendent ways to celebrate the day.