Wednesday Read: July 1 - When Summer Truly Begins
July arrives and summer intensifies. In much of the Northern Hemisphere, July and August are the hottest months - not June when summer technically begins at solstice, but these deep summer months when heat accumulates and temperatures peak. This lag happens because oceans and land masses take weeks to fully absorb the sun's energy. The solstice marked the sun's highest point, but thermal inertia means warmest weather comes later.
Ancient Romans named this month for Julius Caesar, who was born in July and reformed the calendar that bears his name. Before 46 BC, the Roman calendar was a mess - lunar months that didn't sync with solar years, requiring frequent arbitrary adjustments by priests who sometimes manipulated the calendar for political advantage. Caesar consulted Egyptian astronomers and created a solar calendar with 365 days and leap years. His month - originally called Quintilis ("fifth month") - was renamed Julius after his assassination. His adopted son Augustus later claimed the next month.
For American Christians, July carries particular cultural weight because it contains Independence Day on July 4th. This creates tension: how do Christians living in Ordinary Time - the church calendar's long stretch of steady faithfulness - respond to intensely nationalistic celebration? Can you honor your country while maintaining that your primary citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20)?
The early church faced this constantly. They lived under Roman occupation, paid taxes to Caesar, and existed as tiny minority in vast empire. Yet Paul wrote: "Everyone must submit to governing authorities, for all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God" (Romans 13:1). This wasn't endorsement of Roman brutality or acknowledgment that Rome's authority was legitimate. It was recognition that God remains sovereign even when earthly governments are unjust.
Jesus modeled this balance. When religious leaders tried trapping him with political questions, he asked for a coin and said: "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Mark 12:17). This wasn't bland both-sideism. It was profound distinction: some things belong to earthly authorities, but your ultimate allegiance belongs to God alone. You can honor governing structures while refusing to worship the state.
As July begins, you'll navigate this tension. Independence Day celebrations will feature flag-waving, fireworks, patriotic speeches, and sometimes rhetoric treating America as God's chosen nation or suggesting that patriotism equals faithfulness. Christians should appreciate freedoms they enjoy - religious liberty, political participation, economic opportunity. But appreciation differs from idolatry.
Your country deserves gratitude and civic engagement. But it doesn't deserve worship. America isn't the kingdom of God, American values aren't necessarily Christian values, and political platforms don't map neatly onto biblical ethics. You can love your country while recognizing its sins. You can honor those who serve while questioning specific military actions. You can celebrate freedom while acknowledging that millions worldwide lack it.
July begins the way June ended - in Ordinary Time, the long stretch when no major Christian festivals interrupt weekly rhythm. This is intentional gift. The drama of Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost has passed. Now comes the slow work of faithful presence - showing up, serving quietly, loving consistently, trusting persistently when nothing extraordinary is happening. Most of life happens in these ordinary months. Learning to encounter God here matters more than chasing spiritual highs during festival seasons.
As July begins, ask yourself: Am I learning to find God in ordinary moments? Can I maintain spiritual awareness when nothing dramatic is happening? Do I believe resurrection power operates on ordinary Wednesdays in July as surely as on Easter Sunday in April? The calendar changes, the temperature rises, the month shifts - but God's presence remains constant. July begins. Ordinary Time continues. God remains faithful.
