Saturday, June 02, 2007

Land of the Noble Free

We're approaching that time of year when we sing our national hymns of patriotism. They remind us that our land is full of noble people and that we should be noble in our freedom. "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" reminds us that we live in the "land of the noble free." In "America the Beautiful" we sing, "America! America! May God thy gold refine, Til all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine!"

I recently read of a wonderful example of success becoming nobleness. A graduate of the University of Chicago anonymously donated $100 million to the university. This donation will provide 800 full and 400 partial scholarships lower-income students. Click here to read more.

Ronald Reagan once said, "We are a humane and generous people." Later, he declared that "With all our faults, we're the most generous people in the world." May we live up to his vision of America and follow the example of this great benefactor in using our freedom and success nobly.