This past Monday, July 4th, many of us here in the United States celebrated the federal holiday of Independence Day. A day that commemorates the 1776 adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which announced the colonies’ separation from Great Britain and thus gave birth to a newly independent nation.
As I reflected this week on the principles of freedom, I found myself ruminating on this concept of cost vs. worth?
The Department of Veterans Affairs lists Servicemembers’ casualties of The Revolutionary War or the American War of Independence (however you’d like to term it) at approximately 217,000. There is certainly no question the loss of life was significant in the pursuit of freedom, as it continues to be to this very day throughout our global family.
In this equation, we measure the cost of life against the value of freedom. Is it worth it? I don’t know that there is ever an equation that justifies the loss of life, but possibly the freedom of a nation might be viewed as a valiant justification. I’m not entirely sure myself and maybe this is a question you wrestle with as well.
However, as I write this, I admit that I am struggling with these two concepts of cost and worth.
We often say something was “worth it” as we reflect on the effort it took to achieve it.
Today I’m wondering how often we say “it was worth the cost”. Sometimes achievements cost too much, sometimes the alternative of not pursuing the goal is too costly. Regardless, we need to ask ourselves hard questions about whether the pursuit is or was worth it. The answers will differ among each of us, but the question is the same.
Is the agenda you’re pursuing today worth the cost?
It’s a question worth asking yourself.
(Disclaimer: I realize this is TPF is a tad darker than usual, I’ll be back next week with lighter fare, I promise.)