Happy Interdependence Day!

Americans celebrate our independence every 4th of July; however, independence for Americans is more than just freedom as a country ... it's a worldview (and it's killing us as a country).

In 1776, when colonists declared their independence from Britain, they also declared their dependence upon each other. From statesmen making decision for the good of others above themselves to militiamen sacrificing their own life to ensure the freedom of their neighbors ... America has had a culture of inter-dependence.

in·ter·de·pen·dence noun

1. the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.

The Declaration of Independence was also a declaration of interdependence. We need each other to flourish, and our forefathers understood that interdependence. 

This sense of interdependence grew as our country expanded westward. Settlers formed wagon trains as they headed to the frontier and relied on their neighbors on the prairie for survival (just watch any Little House on the Prairie episode). 

Over time, we forgot about this interdependence. Our reliance on each other to survive turned into self-reliance, independence, and arrogance. Now, we don't even talk to our neighbors let alone help them. Today, our American worldview can be defined as independence. So, what happened? Why don't we rely on each other anymore?

We can blame technology that allows us to "google" anything ourselves, authors like Whitman ("Song of Myself") and Emerson ("Self-Reliance") who promoted a "rugged individualism," events like the Gold Rush that inspired an "every man for himself" greed, or the "rags to riches" success story of Andrew Carnegie or Steve Jobs. Regardless of what caused this shift, Americans see weakness in dependence and strength in independence, and we teach that to our children from an early age. 

But is independence so bad? Certainly, we can see strengths to American independence. The American Dream is built upon independence and "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps" ... whatever that means.

The problem with our hyper-focus on independence is when our selfish striving gets in the way of loving our neighbor. How often do we pass by a neighbor in need because it will sidetrack our plans for the day? Who has time to visit a sick co-worker? It is even difficult to find time for our friends. 

Spend any time in a country that is more relational than ours, and you quickly realize how rich this country truly is ... yes, most of these countries are usually referred to by America as "poor" 3rd world countries. However, they take time for each other, they are relationally rich, they are interdependent upon each other.

Thankfully, holidays are times when we as a country re-connect with family, friends, and neighbors ... let us always remember our need for each other ... our Interdependence!

         

Enjoy your Interdependence Day!