missions
Humbled to Be an American: A Hopeful Exile at 250
By David Mathis at Desiring God
· July 4, 2026
· 8 min read
As my country turns 250, I feel both inspired and disillusioned, much as I did two decades ago navigating an undergrad major in political science. Political theory inspired me. I marveled to see how science and philosophy had led to the late eighteenth-century experiment that came to be called the U
Key takeaway An attractive idealism informed the Declaration of Independence in 1776; an even wiser, hard-knocks Constitution arose in 1789.
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Category: missions ·
Published: July 4, 2026 ·
Source: Desiring God ·
Reading time: 8 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? As my country turns 250, I feel both inspired and disillusioned, much as I did two decades ago navigating an undergrad major in political science. Political theory inspired me. I marveled to see how science and philosophy had led to the late eighteenth-century experiment that came to be called the U
When was this published? This article was first published on July 4, 2026 by Desiring God and curated for Christgiving readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by David Mathis at Desiring God. To learn more about how Christgiving selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more missions coverage from Christgiving, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .