The Near-Death of America

I’ll freely admit from the beginning I am not a historical scholar. Nor could I be remotely considered a huge fan of history. However, there are a few things I know. Our country was founded on certain principles by men of principle. They were not perfect, but they were well aware of what the thumb of British tyranny had given them and they knew they did not want that for this brave new world called America.

When Washington and his men captured the town of Trenton the day after Christmas, 1776, he gave strict orders that the prisoners were to be treated fairly. No one was to be harmed or mistreated. He did not want his men to stoop to the level that they had experienced by the British and Hussein forces. Those soldiers slaughtered their captors – without mercy. Washington would have none of that. He would show them the character of this new America and the people who fought to free her.

It was that kind of character and honor that enveloped the framers of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It was that kind of character that was reflected in our most sacred documents. It was that kind of character that the founding fathers hoped to instill in the people of America knowing all along how fragile that character was. They knew that it would only take one man, one ideology, one misrepresentation of the truth to undermine the entire system of the Republic.

Well, it may not have been one man, or one period in time, or a single ideology, but what our founding father’s feared may now be upon us. We are experiencing the slow death of America. The land that was once the home of the brave is now becoming the home of an ideology that will bring us almost full circle. A nation of “rebels” who once fought for freedom under unimaginable circumstances is now finding itself being swept swiftly by the current of socialism into an unrecognizable condition.

We have so-called representatives in government who do not listen to their constituents. Representatives that think, for whatever reason they know what’s best for the country – more than the people who make up the country.  They ignore polls, demonstrations and floods of email or faxes, only to write the criticism off as perpetrated by delusional tea baggers being swept along under false pretenses by people on the right who have only one thing on their mind, destroy the president’s agenda.

We have a government that has its focus on a political agenda not a passion for what’s best for the American people. The issue is not jobs or the economy that garner their attention, it is government-run healthcare, cap-and-trade and strengthening labor unions. Their agenda has nothing to do with the citizens of America, it has to do with their idea of what government should look like and act like. Something that is far afield of what our founding fathers had envisioned. Their role is not to uphold the Constitution of the United States, but to rewrite that Constitution. To footnote it through the judicial system in such a way that it looks like they want it to look and says what they want it to say.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out they do not want individual liberties or a bill of rights. They want government control of virtually every aspect of our lives so that we can be their pawns doing their bidding.  In the early years of our nation’s history that was called slavery!

I’ll miss the United States of America. I’ll miss the pride in our flag, the tear in my eye when singing the national anthem, the immense gratitude that has turned to regret for the men and women who fought under a pretense of preserving our country’s values only to find out that our President and his minions have no regard for our nation’s heritage and choose instead to bow before foreign leaders with hat in hand because they now “own” us!

I will always wonder if a politician was ever honest in their dealings. If they ever once meant the words of the oath of office where they swore to “UPHOLD” the Constitution of the United States or if they simply said what they needed to say in order to fulfill the exercise.

I’ll always wonder if “freedom of speech” is a gift only for those who think they are in the right and not for the average citizen without being mocked or ridiculed by those who sit in the shadow of our nation’s capitol.

I’ll always wonder what other business of the nation was conducted behind closed doors under a veil of secrecy and treachery.

I’ll always wonder what else I missed by not paying attention and if perhaps I wouldn’t be better off now not knowing what I know.

I’ll always have a tinge of guilt knowing that my grandchildren will experience the full force and fury of a national debt that will cripple them in such a way that they may never feel free.

I wonder what I will do when China or Saudi Arabia calls in our loan and we collapse and find ourselves living under a flag that we do not recognize.

I wonder what I’ll do when the government knocks on my door and says, “I’m here to help.”

What will I do if they decide to take my guns.

What will I do if they decide to take my money and give it to some one who hasn’t worked a day in their life – oh wait, they do that now! They just want to do it on a grander scale.

I wonder when God will say, “I’ve had enough. It is over!” Or does he have any vested interest in this country other than it probably has more churches per capita than any other country in the world. Do those buildings matter if many of the people in those buildings are just as lethargic spiritually as they are politically?

Is America near death or simply experiencing a near-death moment?

To Try Men’s Souls

I’ve never been a real fan of history. I can recall Mr. McMahon, my high school history teacher, making every attempt to bring history to life for his rather disinterested students – me among them.  He seemed to have a genuine passion for the subject, but was very poor at communicating it. As he strolled back and forth at the front of the room, chewing on his gum and mumbling out of the side of his mouth, he garnered little respect from his students.

Through the years, I’ve attempted to read bits of history and found my attention waning easily. I suspect for many of today’s students that scenario repeats itself. However, much of what kids are taught today is not history as such, rather politically correct accounts of things progressives prefer our students know, rather than what actually happened.

I’m just about to complete To Try Men’s Souls, a historical novel about George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on Christmas day 1776 and the ensuing battle that took place at Trenton the following day. I didn’t know that Britain’s king had employed German soldiers to fight many of the land battles during that time.  I didn’t know that literally thousands of “rebels” fled the battle field, tired, hungry, near naked and frustrated from losing battle after battle to the British and German soldiers.  I didn’t know that had it not been for just a few miscues on the part of the British and the courage of Washington to persist in an attack under the heaviest of winter storms, our country would have remained under British rule.

One thing that did seem familiar was the feeble revolutionary government formed in the name of freedom that was willing to send men and young boys into a battle ill-equipped and ill supplied for the task while they stayed in the comfort of their homes or fled under the cover of darkness when the enemy drew near the infant Capitol.  Not much has changed in the past two hundred years. Seems rather ironic that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The book, written by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, seeks to give an accurate account of those couple of days form both the revolutionary’s and British perspective.  It focuses on George Washington’s resolve and the role Thomas Paine and Jefferson played. Not glamorous but certainly inspiring.  If one can wade through the ubiquitous descriptions of how cold and unrelenting the weather was, it’s a good read.

God’s Will

I’ve been exchanging some ideas with a friend of mine regarding God’s will.  Not God’s sovereign will but his personal will for individuals. Something that I don’t think has validity in scripture and has been a piece of propaganda served to the Christian community through such organizations as Campus Crusade for Christ and their “Four Spiritual Laws.”  Law number one…”God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”

“God loves you” is true. He loves me as well. It may not be equally true that God “has a wonderful plan for your life.” He indeed has a plan, but it may not be a plan much further or more detailed than your responsibility and role within the Christian community to reflect the character of Christ and the righteousness of God.

What God does through individuals, whether patriarchs, prophets, or apostles is most often done for the sake of the community, not the individual. Everything expected of the individual is designed to strengthen or support the body. Even the fruit of the Spirit is a reflection of ones role in the community. There is no love unless it is in relationship. There is no peace unless it is within the body proper. There is no joy unless it finds its expression in the community (Gal 5:22).  When we understand this, it frees us to move from this what’s-in-it-for-me mentality as reflected in gift assessments and the concept of a personal, individual divine plans, and move to our proper role in the community and how the body fits together in harmony for the glory of God (1Cor 12-14).

Now it’s true that some are called to specific tasks and roles within the church or community of believers. But that role is for the building up of the body not the self aggrandizement of the individual called to that role. Paul ran in to those kind of folks in the church at Galatia – the so called super apostles.  Paul also speaks to this issue in his letter to the Philippians when he encourages them to “…determine what is best so that in the day of Christ  you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God”  Ph1:9-11. There is nothing about a personal will of God other than that of producing a right character for the glory and praise of God. That’s what all of us are called to – always.

It is comforting to many to think that God has a specific plan for their life. Specific in terms of job, spouse, career, etc. But that may simply be  so much fabrication. God wants us to develop a character that reflects Christ and a righteousness that glorifies him.  Can that be done within a career? Yes.  Any career? No – there are not many thieves that reflect the Character of Christ.  But an honorable career in most venues can be glorifying to God.

If we look at the ministry of Christ, he seems not to espouse the concept of an individual will for people other than their status as one of the elect or their role within his ministry. Precious few found the hand of the Master summoning them to a will/plan like that of James, John, Zacheaus, or the like. Even Legion had only one responsibility – go and tell all the wonderful things Christ had done for him.   That too is the role of every believer. That is their base gift, their personal responsibility, the plan of God for them above all else.

I’m open to the idea that “God….has a wonderful plan” for my life. I simply don’t see it as justifiable in scripture. It may be a way to move people off the dime and into service. It may be a way to keep people active in a church, it may even sell a lot of books but it is a concept that we should out grow and replace with the intent of God as outlined in scripture: Love the LORD thy God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all  your mind and with all your strength and love your neighbor has yourself. If we can do that we are well on the way to understanding God’s will for our life.

Engaged – Not all it’s cracked up to be!

I’m heading full speed ahead toward the big 6 0 and this is one of the few times in my life when I’ve tried to be engaged in government affairs and how the action of the federal government shapes personal lives and history in general.  Quite frankly, I don’t like it.  Yes, I’ve voted regularly in national elections in the past, not so much in local elections. However, much of the time I was voting against someone or something instead of voting for someone or something. That’s never good.  And yes, I would suspect folks would label me as a conservative.

What concerns me about engagement is what you learn. You learn there are different standards for those in Washington DC and the rest of the world. You learn that politicians, in general, really don’t listen to their constituents unless it happens to be an election year. You learn that it’s all about control. If a particular party controls a branch of government then the country plays by their rules.  In this particular time, we are learning that the rules are more than partisan, they are down right in-your-face, personal, and often vindictive. For example, the current administrations attack on the FOX News Network.  What has Fox done to deserve this dubious target?  From what I have observed, whether it is opinion pieces or hard news, they have attempted to present the facts as they find them or as they are fed them from Washington. Then they make an effort to verify the “facts.”  If that is offensive to the White House, then perhaps they should counter with facts not attacks.

I’ve also learned over the years that being engaged in local congregations can bring it’s own issues. I suspect that is why I find it hard to be comfortable or find a place where we feel comfortable in worship and Bible study.  Some of the problem is a result of my getting-off-the-couch spiritually and thinking for myself when I read scripture and attempt to extract its meaning. I’m not content to have someone tell me what to believe, I want to learn it for myself and decide the merits of certain political issues.  For example, when we were attending a PCA church and taking a doctrine class. I wanted to be engaged in dialogue about the issues presented, not simply acquiesce to what was being taught. That proved uncomfortable for many, including myself, and often bordered on confrontational.  However, the seeds planted there have caused me to read scripture with a more critical eye when it comes to Calvinistic tendencies and the merit of such a theology.  Which in turn has fostered an examination of long held beliefs that, on occasion, must be abandoned.  That’s uncomfortable but refreshing in its own way.

I’m reading the Book of Daniel now. It’s one of the most challenging books in Scripture because of its supposed apocalyptic tendencies and it’s extended prophecy. Naturally, commentators of all sorts have opinions about the sitz in leben for the book and whether or not it foretells the exact year of the coming of the Messiah and what the end times will be like. This makes for interesting reading however I’m not certain those positions are always correct. Twenty years ago I would have swallowed it all hook line and sinker, but now I’m a bit more skeptical about what I read and whether it not it meshes appropriately with that the evidence shows.  Of course, in certain settings and with certain people, if you offer differing opinions it is seldom accepted and one is often isolated as not being in step with the teachings of scripture.  So much for being engaged.

I like engagement…even with its baggage. No, it is not all it’s cracked up to be – it can leave you scratching your head wondering “Why don’t they see that?”

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Recently my Mom was visiting with us and it was pure torture for my wife. Not because she does not love my Mom, she does dearly. But between my Mom and I we were driving her nuts with “ugh?”, “What did you say?”, “I didn’t hear you.”  Apparently, my mom’s hearing is getting as bad as mine and we were pushing my wife to the edge.

I’ve had poor hearing for several years and gone through at least three sets of hearing aids. Yes, the hearing aids improved my hearing, but they drove me crazy with the itching and repeat ear infections so I stopped wearing them. Consequently my wife puts up with having to constantly repeat herself, I miss bits of conversations with friends, and I must ask my co-workers to repeat themselves once, twice, or three times before I understand what they are saying. Not a good thing for sure.

Right now I have my hearing aids in. I hear the keys on my keyboard, the whirl of the hard drive, things I don’t normally hear. There are a great many other things I don’t normally hear without my hearing aids. You could expect the normal things like kids playing in the yard next door and birds chirpping. But there are everyday sounds that many of us don’t really process until we can’t hear them. For example;  the shuffle of my feet on the carpet, the rustle of unwrapping a Pop-Tart, the splash of pee in the toilet, wind rustling past your ears, the fridge running or the soft sound of your spouse breathing as she sleeps next to you and more. In fact, for me, with my hearing aids in the world is a very noisy place.  Sounds that are commonplace for regular hearing folks have become a distraction to me.

There is a spiritual side to this as well. I don’t hear God as well as I used to either. It’s not because I don’t listen, it’s because I don’t always hear. Or if I do hear, I don’t always like what I hear. It can be a distraction from my routine and so I tune it out.

Jesus was asked by one of the scribes in Mark 12:28, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered with the Jewish Shema from Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 

The emphasis in this phrase is not so much the love or the heart, soul, mind or strength. The key to this verse is shema – “listen” or “hear”. Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord in the garden, God heard Israel’s cry of oppression under Pharoah’s thumb. David cries out to God, “hear my prayer O God.”  If we do not hear or will not listen, we miss  what God is attempting to say to us. Naturally, God speaks today through his word – that involves reading. But if we do not hear the words or listen to the instruction we are simply doing the exercise of flipping pages.

Just like sounds I’ve forgotten, my heart and mind often fails to hear the words of scripture. I miss the intimacy of prayer because I speak and seldom listen.  Perhaps it is time to put my spiritual hearing aids on and become tuned in  to the sounds of God’s presence, the power of his word, and the joy of his salvation.