[Note: This article was originally posted October 2021.]
The first time I read the words of Founder and then President Thomas Jefferson I was deeply moved by his statement and I have never forgotten them:
The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them. Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever.[1]
I was a young Air Force Lieutenant in flight school making my first visit to Washington D.C. My main impression from Jefferson’s words is that never again would our citizens need to tremble or fear that our great country would have its foundation, stated in our Declaration of Independence, be diminished and destroyed…especially from within. Yet millions of us see this happening! Other millions see our country
greatly flawed and desperately needing transformation. This wide and profound clash of visions has brought us full circle to a similar heated and fervent division.
Our war of independence was violently opposed by many of our citizens (1776). Similarly the war of 1812 followed by the Mexican War (1848). Our greatest clash was, of course, the bloody and destructive Civil War (1861). There were two sides to the Spanish American War (1898) and even our entry into WWI (1917). We were mostly united about our entry into WWII because of Pearl Harbor (1941) and the Cold War with Russia (1946-1989). The Korean War (1950) and Vietnam War (1969) have their own stories of internal conflict. Iraq and Afghanistan were supposed to be brief small wars, but we are still debating our vision, the high financial outlay and most costly, the many injuries and deaths of our noble military combatants.
Can there be any doubt among our thinking citizens that the “culture war” that heated up in the 1960’s has reached a peak previously unknown since our civil war? The present national conflict, chaos, combativeness, complaints, competition, coarseness, callousness, confusion and complexity, etc. are the worst and most divisive I’ve seen in my 89 years of being a proud and grateful American.
Listening intently to The Progressive (the left) and The Traditionalist (the right) makes one a good student of the times. Both groups have their extremists who I try to ignore…but pray for. The radical Christians through history always fueled by their cross obedience to Christ, have a third option. They are not geared to the temporary times of mankind’s imperfections, but to the eternal Rock, the Jesus of the Scriptures. Personally, I lean to the right as I’m convinced more truth resides there than to the left. Yet, I still have many friends leaning to the left. Where is our healing as a nation to come from?
People of the “third option” can save us if it’s God’s timing. Again, read the Declaration. Being all out to the left or right is a manmade, horizontal position, limited to the wisdom and power of a fallen mankind. Natures God and our Creator…The Declaration again… makes us Verticalists…politically we want to charge what’s wrong and keep what is right with God’s values and help! His Kingdom will survive while America might not as we have known it!
The bottom line is that I have no fear. The Scriptures touch on fear almost 600 times and Jesus at least a dozen times. His word to His verticalists is to obey what He tells us…FIGHT FOR WHAT’S THE TRUTH…love everyone as I have loved you…and fear not! Remember, I’m ultimately in charge!
[1] Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII:
“Manners” (1787).
