As we reflect on this notable anniversary and commemorate the independence of the United States of America it is also worth considering the present and the future. Are we truly united? Do we share a noble goal or purpose?
From humble beginnings, the United States is now the premier economic and military powerhouse of the modern era. Remarkable? Miraculous? Yes, on both counts. Accidental? Not a chance.
It has been called “the land of opportunity” and motivated people have been drawn from the far corners of the globe by that very thing, opportunity. It is not a guarantee or a winning lottery ticket. It is a chance to prosper according to your labors. “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” as it says in Proverbs 14:23.
Sadly, that axiom is foiled in many places by bad government, whether through taxation, special interest, outright oppression or some other perversion of justice. Since before its founding, the United States has been seen as a refuge for those desperate for even just the fruit of their own labors.
Prosperity itself, however, is not purpose. Coveting wealth is nothing less than greed, and results in further evil and the type of oppression that many have fled here to avoid. It is the righteous system itself, its maintenance, preservation and furtherance, that is worthy of our best endeavors.
Honesty compels us to acknowledge that we cannot always win, that every idea will not necessarily succeed. The ability to try, and even to fail, adapt and move on, is of immense value IF it is free from encumbrance. One of the great enduring purposes of this country is to enable that very thing. That if we fail it is not because success is impossible.
To lose when the competition is free, open and fair is still a type of blessing to all of those who partake. This has been a primary source of our innovative resilience. There are many things that need to be done in this life and how we go about it often matters more than the thing itself. When people of principle put their strength behind a system that empowers opportunity, free from hindrance and coercion, it leads to the elevation of all concerned. This has been, and can still be, the promise and the opportunity that exists inside the United States of America.
Even those critical of our flaws, which are admittedly many, appreciate that this country is unique in the potential for “upward mobility” as it is called. This means that no matter the circumstances or class that you were born into, no matter if your little baby spoon was pure silver or a plastic spork, you have the ability to make whatever you desire out of your life and prosper accordingly.
On this notable anniversary I would ask that we all take stock of our lives and consider what is truly important. The earliest settlers in this country sought opportunity, but they also sought the free expression of their faith. These ideals are in no way incompatible. Consider the words of Cotton Mather, whose Essays To Do Good were cited by Benjamin Franklin as a major influence on his life, “…if men would set themselves to devise good, a world of good might be done, more than there is in this present evil world.
“It is very sure the world has need enough. There needs abundance to be done, that the great God and His Christ my be more known and served in the world; and that the errors which are impediments to the acknowledgment wherewith men ought to glorify their Creator and Redeemer may be rectified. There needs abundance to be done, that the evil manners of the world, by which men are drowned in perdition, may be reformed; and mankind rescued from the epidemical corruption and slavery which has overwhelmed it. There needs abundance to be done, that the miseries of the world may have remedies and abatements provided for them; and that miserable people may be relieved and comforted.”
A profound truth appears in these statements, that labor in the service of something greater than oneself brings greater reward. That our priorities and our conduct can take one of two paths, that of the problem or that of the solution. Every endeavor that is pursued nobly becomes a noble endeavor, for there is a worth in truth and honesty that cannot be found elsewhere.
Around the time of the American revolution there was a popular concept styled “the Noble Savage.” It essentially saddled civilization itself with responsibility for the ills of society, postulating that a good and moral character could exist, with less impediment and temptation, outside of it. Despite “the noble savage” never being discovered, though the world was relatively unexplored up until then, it correctly assigns value to the physical and moral aspects of our lives.
To prosper materially is not necessarily to thrive, just as Mather encouraged diligence with principle and rightly equated the works of evil with perdition in this life and the next. Faith, in practical terms, is to know that even righteous toil that is bereft of physical reward is ultimate victory. That may not be the preferred ideal but it is ultimately, truth.
Faith has a way of reminding us of our priorities. Patrick Henry, in his famous “Liberty or Death” speech, remonstrated, “Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.”
He knew full well that much of what he had to say would be unpopular among those assembled. It in no way diminished his responsibility to speak. Let it be so again when our times demand the wisdom of immortal justice. Let us again acknowledge that there is a purpose in this life that is greater than ourselves; that every motive, every government and every king will be subjected to the scrutiny of the Eternal King and Judge. This is the wholesome and proper starting point for any endeavor, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.
“Commit your works unto the LORD and your thoughts shall be established” reads Proverbs 16:3. George Washington, in his first inaugural address, gives full credence to the words of Solomon saying, “…the foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality;
“and the pre-eminence of free government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world. I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my country can inspire:
“Since there is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage, between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity: since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained…”
Would that we recall that truth again. It rightly aligns the purposes of our lives with those of God on both the personal and collective levels. It is the crossroads of all that is good and desirable in life. To the extent that the United States of America has been a success, it is on account of these immutable truths with a hearty admixture of God’s blessing.
Take heart. These truths will be as relevant in the future as they were in the past. Solomon also wrote, “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this,” Ecclesiastes 7:10. There is no sense in “pining for the fjords” like some deceased parrot. The past was forged by men of action who appreciated their relative insignificance. They were subject to the moment, as are we.
The defining difference is always what you intend to do about it, with proper subjugation to the overriding will of the Almighty. This is precisely what the founders of this country tried to pass down to us and the world in general. The form of government that won renown, under God, in this nation, has been embraced around the world.
Yet, if we do not remember the great purpose that should rightly underpin all of our endeavors not a one of them will last! We have reached a critical moment. And now, as then, it is up to each and every individual to be the representative of what truly matters. Regardless of personal advantage. Regardless of popularity. Trouble is coming to this world but trouble has always been at the door. It is a collective decision to restrain it or to roll over and succumb.
If it is God’s will that a nation be punished then that nation will suffer, but let us not think it is arbitrary. Let us not “talk only” about what needs to be done while we are swallowed up by the oppression of immorality that it is in our power to restrain. That has been the great and enduring purpose of the United States of America. In its finest moments it has elevated those near and far, but it is borne on the backs of those who believe in something greater than themselves. Those that keep in proper perspective the will of God and of man.
Calvin Coolidge, while still serving in the Senate of Massachusetts in 1914, said, “Men do not make laws. They do but discover them. Laws must be justified by something more than the will of the majority. They must rest on the eternal foundation of righteousness.”
Let all of our actions have that same unshakable foundation. Let us rededicate ourselves to God’s great and eternal purpose in this moment. There is no comfort to be found elsewhere. We often think we are in total control of our destinies, but we are not. Our action is limited at best, restrained inside of clearly defined parameters. The Author of these does grant us that limited action however. To see and to know if we can or will obey, or rise to any given occasion. Let this be that occasion.
