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50. A Prayer for Humanity
Former Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Peter Marshall,
once delivered this Independence Day prayer. I
believe it fits best here:
Godofour Fathers, whose AlmightyHandhas
made and preserved our Nation grant that our
people may understand what it is they celebrate.
May they remember howbitterly our freedom
was won the down payment that was made for
it, the installments that have been made since
this Republic was born and the price that must
yet be paid for our liberty.
May freedom be seen not as the right to do
as we please, but as the opportunity to please do
what is right May it ever be understood that our
liberty is under God and can be found nowhere
else. May our faith be something that is not
merely stamped upon our coins, but expressed
in our lives.
Let us, as a nation, not be afraid ofstanding
alone for the rights ofmen, since we were born
that wa;J as the only nation on earth that came
into being "for the glory of God and the
advancement of the Christian faith.
''
We know that we shall be true to the Pilgrim
dream when we are true to the God
-
they
worshiped. To the extent that America honors
Thee, will Thou bless America and keep her as
Thou has kept her free, and make her good as
Thou hast made her rich, Amen.
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