When Our Cause It is Just

Happy Independence, America! Our national anthem is unique in that its first verse ends with a question: "Does the flag 'yet wave' over America?" The original poem, written by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814 from the perspective of a hostage aboard an enemy ship, has four stanzas. The first asks if the flag is still waving. The 2nd answers that it is because of sacrifice. The 3rd stanza celebrates victory over the enemy. And finally, the 4th stanza is where we get the title of our message today. It is often wrongly sung "for our cause it is just." But Key wrote "when our cause it is just." Then, a point many miss, he concludes that our cause is only just when "this be our motto 'In God is our trust.'"