The Pour Over Today - America's 250th: The Declaration Was Basically a Breakup Letter

Starting point is 00:00:00 When was the last time that you read through the Declaration of Independence, Kathleen? Like all of it? Yeah. Probably never. I don't think I've ever fully read through it. I have seen the Declaration of Independence when I was little. We went to Independence Hall and they were doing a rotating exhibit and the Declaration of Independence was there. So I've laid eyes on it.

Starting point is 00:00:23 I have seen National Treasure with Nicholas Cage. I have not. So we make up for each other's gaps. Hey, it's Kathleen. This is Cass Renan. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we summarize the headlines. But as we're writing across different topics, there's a zero percent chance that we know everything we're writing about. I definitely don't always know everything I'm writing about.

Starting point is 00:00:49 So on Saturdays, we take a shallow dive into one topic from the headlines to educate ourselves, and we bring you along with us. Right. K.A. actually. Kay, raise your hand. Just so everybody knows. Oh, that's her. Yep. The one with the Patriotic makeup.

Starting point is 00:01:03 She's the one who writes our explainers. So she's going to read through our newsletter for today. Feel free to follow along with your eyes or your ears, however you prefer. Yeah. In case anybody missed it, today is not just like any old Fourth of July. It is the 250th anniversary of America. I don't think anybody's really talking about it. So not many people probably know.

Starting point is 00:01:28 It's the day we get to use the word semi-Quincennial, which for everybody, making a face, it just means the 250th anniversary. Fun fact. That actually means it's the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is how you would actually say it. A refresher. That's what's an order. So you're taking us on a journey through the Declaration of Independence. That's the plan. Yeah. So it might seem obvious, but we really do have to start by asking what is the Declaration of Independence?

Starting point is 00:02:03 Because basically it's an analog breakup post. The Declaration of Independence was a formal document saying America was cutting itself off from Britain. It announced independence, laid out the philosophical grounds for self-governance, and listed every grievance the colonies had with the king, which was 27, to be exact. Honestly, it could have been higher. Yeah, I probably could have. Probably could have kept going. But 27, you know, that's a good solid number.

Starting point is 00:02:30 On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted for independence, but took a red pen to the wording for two more days before formally adopting the declaration. So, why did America want independence in the first place? The answer might surprise you, because we didn't, not at first. The official split was actually more than a decade in the making. Up until 1776, colonists had been hoping to make amends with Britain and protesting British policies. So think taxation without representation.

Starting point is 00:03:03 And then came the Boston Tea Party. 342 chests of tea, one very annoyed crown. Britain's brutal crackdown in response and the first shots of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775. It would be over a year before anybody got to the paperwork, but eventually the people realized that to truly get life and liberty,

Starting point is 00:03:26 they would need to declare independence. But, you know, why write it down? Why not just declare it? The short answer is hype. The Declaration gave America's cause legitimacy. It said, we're serious about this independence thing, which when you're trying to convince people like France to ally with you matters a lot. It would be almost two more years before France officially allied with America, but the declaration was definitely a catalyst. And this is all great, but why does the Declaration be? matter today. No matter how often the Declaration of Independence crosses your mind, or if you've even ever read it, it's a fact that this little piece of paper was a big help in establishing

Starting point is 00:04:09 a durable foundation that has lasted us 250 years, which is not bad for a breakup letter, if you ask me. Not too shabby. Okay, I, whenever you were saying you can't just declare it, like it makes it more legitimate to write it down. I'm just picturing like Michael Scott, I declare of bankruptcy. And now America was like, yeah, we can't just be like, I declare independence. So I get it. Thank you, the office, for always teaching me life lessons. As food runs out in places like Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East,

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Starting point is 00:05:23 A gift of $12 feeds an orphan. Visit servingorphins.org forward slash the pourover or click the link in the show notes to give the gift of a full belly today. Okay, we're reading this on Wednesday, July 1st. And today just so happens to be International Joke Day, apparently to start the second half of the year on like a light note. I don't know. Anyway, so I did see a joke, a patriotic joke that I'd like to tell in light of what you just read. Okay. Tell me your joke.

Starting point is 00:06:02 What's the best thing to drink on the 4th of July? Oh, water. Because it's hot. No. Liberty. Because of the tea party, you get it? Yes. You reenact the Boston Tea Party.

Starting point is 00:06:22 I don't know. It is too hot to do that. I think they wore something. I'm not going to wear. Okay. So as you were writing this, Kay, did you learn something that you didn't already know? Yes. So similar to what you just said, I had never really thought about how the declaration of independence was a catalyst for so many things. To me, it feels like kind of not like an afterthought. And I mean that in the sense of like it comes after things. Like we declare independence, we do the things. Then we'll write it down. But I didn't think about the fact that like, no, we have to write it down. to give legitimacy to ourselves, to get France to help us get aid, win the Revolutionary War. So that was an interesting thing I learned. Yeah, I guess it is weird to think about. Like if somebody today were to be like, well, we sent a letter. So we're our own country now.

Starting point is 00:07:09 I don't know how that would be received. Maybe this day an agent needs to be like an email or a tweet. Probably a tweet. Sorry, an ex post. Yes. Because Twitter's not a thing. No. Okay.

Starting point is 00:07:22 Was there something that you wanted to. write about in this article that you can get to include? Yes. So something interesting about America is we have one of, if not the oldest government among large countries. So what that means is like we're a young country, we're only 250 years old, but a lot of countries, their government changes throughout the years. So like Iran's government changed in 1979 when they had the Iranian revolution. America's government hasn't changed, not really. It's looked pretty much the same for 250 years, which makes it the oldest government. And we didn't get to get into that.

Starting point is 00:07:59 But it is interesting to think about the Declaration of Independence built a foundation for something that's lasted a long time. It's kind of historic. Yeah, that is interesting. I would not have thought that. But they were thorough. I mean, this was a long document, right? 27 grievances. Yeah, the document itself was not that long.

Starting point is 00:08:19 Yeah, they were pretty concise. We appreciate conciseness at the poor. We do. Did they focus on levity, brevity, clarity, and dignity? I think they did. I think that was probably the chief thing on their mind when they were writing it. Did they do a lot of strike-throughs? Probably.

Starting point is 00:08:36 Yeah, with the red pen. With the red feather. Okay, tell us what Christian perspective you chose. Yes. So as we're thinking about 1776, the goings-on of 1776 are really in large part. a distant memory. We know the highlights that we see in our history books, but most things we've forgotten and even the highlights will one day be forgotten. Our eternal significance isn't wrapped up in our country of origin, our government, or our political party. What matters is that our lives have been

Starting point is 00:09:10 bought by Christ and we will be with Him in glory. I think Colossians chapter 3 verses 2 through 4 help us with this. It says, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. I think these are good things to remember as we're thinking about the past and celebrating the present. Definitely. Thanks, K.A. Before we go, let's take a moment to pray together for an eternal perspective. Eternal God, worldly kingdoms fade, but yours endures forever. Keep our eyes turned to heaven and our feet firmly planted on the rock, unmoved by the passing panics of today. Amen. If you guys liked that and you want more guided prayers like it to help you bring current events to the Lord, you should check out TPO's new audio devotional and join us in prayer on Monday.

Starting point is 00:10:05 You can text pray to 71989. That's 71989. Or you can check the show notes. And if you're listening on Apple Podcasts app, give us a five-star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell. you're watching on YouTube, hit subscribe to never miss a new episode. And we'll see you guys next week. Hi. Why are there no knock-knock jokes about Fourth of July? No, no. Because freedom rings. That's a good one. I did have one more. I almost sent it to you. I hope you didn't already see it. Spoiler alert. Does everybody work on the Fourth of July? Dang it. That's not it. Is everybody off on the Fourth of July? No? No. Fireworks. Oh. Naturally. What if you could grow your savings while helping advance the gospel? You can with Adelphi Christian banking, formerly Christian Community Credit Union. Their high-yield harvest bundle offers 4% APY on harvest checking and 5% APY on harvest savings. Even better,

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The Pour Over Today - America's 250th: The Declaration Was Basically a Breakup Letter

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