June 30, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, June 30. Over the next four days we’ll take a patriotic journey that leads us to this Friday, our nation’s 249th birthday - the 4th of July!
In 1831, a young 24-year-old minister named Samuel Francis Smith was concerned about the spiritual condition of his young country. He decided to write a hymn that would, in his words, “bring America back to God”. His song - “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” - became hugely popular and was considered, for a hundred years, to be America’s unofficial national anthem.
That changed in 1931, when “The Star Spangled Banner” was voted to be our official song. I would have voted for Rev. Smith’s composition. For one thing, it’s so much easier to sing! In the last century, it has continued to be sung whenever Americans celebrate our freedom. In 1939, opera star Marian Anderson was barred from giving a concert at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. because of the color of her skin. Instead, on Easter Sunday, she stood before an integrated crowd of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial. And she sang this song.
On August 28, 1963, a young 34-year-old minister named Martin Luther King stood before 250,000 people at that same Lincoln Memorial. His legendary “I Have a Dream” speech quoted the final phrase from Samuel Smith’s hymn, as he passionately exhorted his country to “Let Freedom Ring!” For almost two centuries now this patriotic song has encouraged us to do just that, as it brings honor to our country, and to our God.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
