This definition from Wikipedia is beautiful, the creation of … “oneness among the people” … It does not say oneness of people that worship the way you do, look the way you do, that watch only certain news channels, that vote only the way you do, it says rather the “oneness among the people” that share the same sentiment of attachment to homeland and country.

Independence from oppression of a monarch an ocean away, brought many varied colonies together to create the United States of America.   The external threat, the desire to find oneness and safety on this continent and grow the greatest country in the world with the experiment of government by the people, for the people, through democracy and reason and compromise, rather that rule of power, rule of authoritarianism and the rot of nepotism.  Our Founders created our form of government with the explicit intent to overcome oppressive forms of government and to build something the world had never seen before.

So, on this Independence celebration I pray we might again find that we can overcome the oppression of conspiratorial thought, the threats of autocratic rule, the incitement of divisions and hate in our country.   Declaring that these states shall not fail, and insisting in locking arms together with all citizens sharing the sentiment of love, devotion and attachment to this country for the purpose of “oneness among the people” … and acknowledging we are all Patriots!