While honoring those who sacrificed their lives for our country's freedom, Rev. Roy Ford said it seems that many Americans have the wrong idea about freedom.
"I've talked to a lot of people who don't seem to have any idea of America and what it means to to be free here in our country," Ford said during a Memorial Day service Monday at Hillcrest Memorial Park. "Here in America, we aren't supposed to be free to do what we want, we are free to do what we ought."
Ford added that this misconception of what type of freedom is meant to be experienced in America has lead many people to misread the true history of America's founding and of its purpose.
"There have been all kinds of stories about our history," Ford said. "Many people believe that Christopher Columbus sailed to this continent to find new markets for trading merchandise, but his actual mission was to help spread the Christian Gospel to others who never knew about it. Alexander Hamilton said that the principles of our constitution could be found in the Bible."
Ford also pointed out that Thomas Jefferson has recently been spotlighted for owning a copy of the Koran.
"At the time our country was facing problems with piracy on the oceans conducted by men who believed in the Koran and in order to solve his piracy, Jefferson was advised to do it diplomatically, Ford said. "When Jefferson read to Koran he wanted to see what he could do diplomatically and that's when he found out that the best thing he could do was send the U.S. Marines to the shores of Tripoli - and that's what he did."
In keeping with the idea of freedom being directed at doing what ought to be done, rather than fulfilling self desires, Ford said that that is exactly what more than a million American servicemen and women have now done for the country when they decided to follow Jesus Christ's example on the cross.
"Jesus said that no greater love has a man then to give his life for others, and if you really want to honor the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and for this country, the best way we can do that is by restoring our faith and our beliefs," he said
Ford emphasized the need for faith and trust in God, by speaking about a local former U.S. Army resident who served in Europe during World War II - the late Aaron Wooten.
"One of the best men I ever knew was Aaron Wooten," Ford said. "One day in France, he as assigned to help find his way across a minefield and when he looked cross that field, he began to pray and asked God to get him through this. As it turned out, Aaron was able to walk completely across the field and return back the way he came. When one of the enemy commanders saw this he told his men that there was no way they could fight these men because God was on their side. America needs to be a nation under God - because in God we can trust."