WASHINGTON  -  “God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above.  From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, God bless America, my home sweet home.”

When Irving Berlin sent these lyrics to Dwight Eisenhower in 1940, his song was not the
well-known standard it is today.  In the time since, however, “God Bless America” has become synonymous with our patriotism.

 

On the Fourth of July, when we turn on a ball game or gaze skyward at fireworks  displays, Irving Berlin’s song will blare from loudspeakers and be sung by thousands in unison.  The words will hold individual meaning for each of us.

Here in the Heartland, Independence Day is more like Thanksgiving than any other holiday.  We ask God’s blessing for the scenic lands we inhabit, for the mighty Mississippi River that borders our district, and for the fertile soil in which we root our economy.  Our institutions are dedicated to learning and scientific research, to worship and personal growth, and to granting opportunity to every American who seeks it out.
God has blessed us with a democracy based on rights and freedoms so we can fulfil our destiny.  In the Heartland, these gifts are most dear to us.

I think that is why we refer to our own geography in relation to the heart.  The Heartland
is where we believe we keep the innermost, precious values of our nation. 

Our heroes are not pop music icons or glamorous actors – they are policemen and
firemen, veterans, grandparents and good neighbors.  We prize our strong work ethic,
community service, and common courtesy.  Yet we are a complex, thoughtful, and entrepreneurial people.  We love our country.

Sometimes, it seems as though the founding principles of our nation were resolved
with us in mind.  Even though Missouri was rough country in 1776, not even on the Western edge of a map of the colonies, our Founders saw us on the horizon.  When they fixed their signatures to the Declaration of Independence, I think they had the
Heartland of the future in mind.  They envisioned us as motivated by freedom, living off the land, and proud of our independence.  They knew God would bless our enterprise.  We have fulfilled their vision, and much more.

Just this week, members of the 348th Army Reserve returned to Missouri from Iraq.
Like Missouri’s other sons and daughters serving in uniform, they are laying the foundation for representative government, renewing the infrastructure of broken nations, and extending a helpful hand to weak and oppressed peoples. They performed their duty as an extension of the Heartland, and they took with them the values of
our Founders to implement overseas.

At home, we united as a community to help out those who missed a loved one.  Yet, not
one of the yellow ribbons that we tied up to remember the soldiers of the 348th will come down.  No, they will stay up until all of our sons and daughters are home again.

It is hard to imagine having freedom without having to defend it.  You do not need to
wear a uniform to do so, and we in the Heartland understand this principle.  Our patriotism grows right alongside the rows of soybeans in our Missouri fields.  The steeples of our churches point skyward just like our flag poles.  We put two hands together in the act of prayer, but we lift only one at our national anthem – and rest it over
our hearts.

In the Heartland, I like to think God has his hand over us.  When it rains not too much and not too little, God’s hand is in it.  When our troops march home from the victory they have won, it is God’s design.  When we are struck with the kindness of others, it is part of God’s plan.  And when we pause in prayer during our darker hours, God is listening. 

God has blessed our home sweet home with the good fortune of patriots who believe in
the mission of our country.

Thank you for all you do to keep our nation strong and free.  God bless you this
Independence Day, and God bless America – land that we love.