In the U.S. we celebrate July Fourth and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, a document that declared the thirteen American colonies independent from Great Britain. We celebrate with picnics and fireworks, reminding us of the treasure of our freedom.
As we celebrate this independence, our faith reminds us not store up our treasures on earth but to store up treasures in heaven, “where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.”
St. Augustine once said that since every creature is made ex nihilo, it carries with it the heritage of nonbeing. There is a kind of penumbra or shadow of nothingness that haunts every finite thing.
This is a philosophical way of stating what all of us know in our bones: No matter how good, beautiful, true, or exciting a thing or state of affairs is here below, it is destined to pass into nonbeing. Think of a gorgeous firework that bursts open like a giant flower and then, in the twinkling of an eye, is gone forever. Everything is haunted by nonbeing; everything, finally, is that firework.
This is not meant to depress us; it is meant to redirect our attention precisely to the treasures of heaven, to the eternity of God. Once we see everything in light of God, we can learn to love the things of this world without clinging to them and without expecting too much of them.
This is true freedom. Think of how much disappointment and heartache could be avoided if we only learned this truth!
Smitten With Goodness 