A Fourth of July reflection from Bishop Luis Zarama

En español

The American flag embraces diversity by uniting the colors red and blue with white, the color that, throughout human history, has represented peace.

Like the light and shadows in a beautiful painting, unity is achieved in the richness of diversity as people — with different talents, statures, personalities, and ancestry — and as a country in the diverse variety of its geographical features.

Acknowledging this richness helps us mature and protects our identity as a country. This identity, this unity, reveals the greatness and beauty of our surroundings, helps us strive to improve, and compels us to lend a helping hand.

To be patriotic is to discover what unites us, not what separates us; it is to find the grandeur we have in common, the richness that makes those who are part of this great country proud.