We celebrated Independence Day the week before last. This year, the holiday was midweek, and it wasn’t so convenient to take a very long weekend, but here at the SCC office, we enjoyed it anyway. That evening, my family joined another family and went to the Rose Bowl golf park and enjoyed watching the traditional fireworks.
As we commemorate this event every year, have you thought about the effect this festivity has in your daily relationships?
As an immigrant to this country, I have adopted this celebration, not just to have free time and fun, but to seriously meditate on the following:
- I need to remember the intentional sacrifice made by the founders of this nation so every person within its borders could enjoy freedom and democracy.
- I need to recognize that the convictions of these forefathers were so deep in their hearts that nothing and nobody intimidated them from pursuing their ideals.
- I need to respond when I witness abuses toward the disadvantaged, the most vulnerable people or any person in the society I live, and I must protest to stop such injustices.
- I need to responsibly retain the privileges that I enjoy today by passing their value to the next generation.
I hope and pray that you also have had the opportunity to reflect on this great blessing of living in a country that still respects our individual rights, privileges and opportunities.
The Sabbath of that week, Esther and I had the opportunity to worship with our beloved Antelope Valley church members. After the church service, I gave the opportunity for Q&A with members who had questions or wanted to share concerns with me as conference leader. That conversation was very insightful for me and I think for the members as well.
Then we were invited for a fellowship meal with members and their pastor, Elder Morris Barnes. What a great time we had with such wonderful people. I was delighted to hear members share their stories, like one from a person who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when the Civil Rights Movement was at its climax in the 1960s. (Watch for her inspiring story in a future issue of the Recorder.)
On Sabbath, July 14, 2018, we had the opportunity to visit the Community Adventist Fellowship church in Pasadena, where Elder Justin Lawman is currently conducting two-week evangelistic meetings. (Elder Lawman pastored this church from 2005-2009 before returning to Australia, his home country.) We were delighted by his inspiring and uplifting message.
It was pleasant to see the members excited about sharing the Gospel with family and friends who were invited to join them during these meetings. That Sabbath day, the congregation had three meetings where members and visitors enjoyed dynamic and Christ-centered messages highlighting our distinctive beliefs as Seventh-day Adventists. Let’s keep this congregation in prayer as they go into their second week of this outreach for Christ. Thank you, Elder Lawman, for coming to our “Macedonian” territory and helping us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Blessings to all my friends,
Velino A. Salazar
President
Southern California Conference