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Now here's today's news, discerned differently.

The National League was formed in 1876, the American League in 1901.

In 1981, the players went on strike from June 11th until August 10th.

As best as I can tell, that's the only time in 144 years that the game was not played on Independence Day,

until last Saturday, that is.

But all was not lost.

For the 13th time in the last 14 years, Joey Chestnut won the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

He consumed about 75 hot dogs and buns in approximately 10 minutes to win the coveted

mustard yellow belt. However, as a sign of the times, Saturday's event was held at a private

location rather than in front of large crowds as in the past. The judges wore masks. Assistance handed

buns and weeners to the contestants while using latex gloves.

This was a 4th of July, unlike any in living memory. But even with the pandemic and recession, I am grateful to be an American. Every time I travel overseas, when I return, I'm glad to be home.

And I pray for my country to be a nation God can bless. In Psalm 3312, the psalmist declared,

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. His statement assumes that every nation has a God of some kind. Theologian Paul

Tillich was right. We all have an ultimate concern, something or some one, that we can trust above

all others. Some trust the God of Islam, others the path to Nirvana taught by Buddhism,

the way of Moksha, or salvation in Hinduism,

or the laws of Judaism.

Still others trust the gods of materialism, hedonism, or self-reliance.

To be blessed, however, a nation must make their God the Lord.

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