On July 4, 1776, a group of colonists affixed their signatures to a document declaring independence from their king. The opening words of that declaration have been memorized by countless schoolchildren and adults alike:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
It is difficult to resist the temptation to wander down the historical rabbit hole of irony—filled with the compartmentalization, willful ignorance, or intentionality that institutionalized the dehumanization and enslavement of an entire race of people, along with deeply entrenched class and gender discrimination. History exists either for our remembering, learning, and transformation, or as a warning of what is yet possible.
What I find particularly compelling is the connection between this Declaration of Independence from a king and the universal human longing for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In response, I can almost hear media personality Wendy Williams asking her audience, “How you doin’?”
It seems woven into our inherited DNA—thank you, Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve—to assert independence from anything and everything outside ourselves. Yet, if we sit with the idea for more than a few minutes, Bob Dylan’s words begin to ring true: “You gotta serve somebody.” The only real question is: who?
It was Thomas—the disciple we have cheekily nicknamed “Doubting Thomas”—who, upon seeing the risen Christ, declared, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Understand, he was not merely repeating himself for emphasis. Thomas was proclaiming Jesus as both fully God—the Creator Himself—and sovereign Lord. Dare I say it: King. King in every sense that Caesar or King George would have understood the word.
Many people profess belief in God. Scripture reminds us that this, by itself, is a surprisingly low bar. In fact, Psalm 14:1 tells us that only fools deny God altogether. But Jesus presses further. Responding to Thomas, He said:
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
And on another occasion:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
So what does this mean? Is our faith merely a Hobson’s choice—trading self-declared independence for another form of enslavement, as Karl Marx famously suggested when he wrote that “religion is the opium of the people”?
I love how Jesus answered that question:
Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep rustlers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:6–10)
“You gotta serve somebody.”
Cue the music:
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
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Pastor Mark
Mark, the eighth of nine children born to Reuben and Henrietta Meeks—dedicated church planters with nearly 30 congregations established across California’s Central Valley—is a preacher's kid who grew up immersed in faith and service. With over forty years of experience teaching, discipling, and ministering to communities, including the hospitalized and incarcerated, Mark responded to God's call to pastoral ministry. He holds degrees in civil engineering and public administration, as well as a Master’s in Theology from Fuller Seminary, equipping him to serve with both practical insight and spiritual depth.
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