With all of the barbeque, fireworks and other festivities, the real purpose of Independence Day seems to fade into the background. Over the past week the atmosphere has been filled with skyrockets, flying spinners, sparklers, and roman candles.

With so much magnificence in the air, for some it’s hard to remain focused on the real reason for such a grand celebration.  Yesterday we, as a country, celebrated our 235th birthday. On July 4, 1776, John Hancock was the only one of 56 American leaders to sign the Declaration of Independence. Because of his promptness, the infamous phrase, “Give me your John Hancock,” when requesting a signature, was coined

Those who signed the document that made us a free nation had far more to lose than they ever stood to gain. They were men of wealth and influence, but they willingly put all that they had on the line for the birth of this nation. By signing the sacred document, they were really saying to us that there is something more important than material gain. In fact, they all paid a tremendous price for the freedoms we now enjoy.

Because of the principles they believed in, they almost lost everything they had. To remain true to the idea of freedom, we too must commit ourselves to the same principles knowing that true freedom and the ideas of freedom are worth dying for. The penalty for their signature could have led to their deaths, yet they signed anyway. John Hancock signed twice as large as anyone else. He explained his signature size by saying, “Now His majesty can read my name without his spectacles.” Talking about believing in your principles! Stephen Hopkins was a very old man, and his signature was shaky. He said that although his hand trembled, his heart did not. Oh, that we may be like these men who looked death in the face and said along with Patrick Henry, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

These men paid the price for what we enjoy today. So, the next time you see old Glory waving in the breeze, take a good long look and think about those who have and those who continue to put their lives on the line for us to enjoy the freedom of America.