Principles to Overcome National Crises

 

In the current crisis we are facing in our nation, there are some principles that I believe will help us negotiate successfully; as we have negotiated through other major crises. I set them forth here:

1. Good and evil exist. There are ways of being in this world that progress us toward all that is good for humanity, and ways that regress us into unnecessary suffering.

2. The line that separates good from evil goes through the heart of every human. The primary responsibility of every human is to deal first and foremost with his/her own propensity for evil. No laws or systems of government can compensate for our failure to do this. Jesus pointed out that it is easy for us to see the evil “out there”, and difficult to see the evil that is “in here.” And He indicated that we would not be able to help our brother overcome his evil if we did not first expose and exculpate our own. [Matthew 7:3-5].

3. We all share the responsibility to stand together in confronting and overcoming societal evil, which may be thought of as evil that takes on a collective dynamic and is reinforced by the fact that many stand in agreement with it, benefit from it, and find ways to rationalize it---a sort of collective blindness. [Think of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, the KKK, Nazi Germany and “systemic racism” in recent history.]

4. There is no person nor people group that is purely evil juxtaposed against a person or people group that is purely good. There is good in the worst of us and evil in the best of us, to varying degrees.

5. These principles take on a higher level of power and importance in the COLLECTIVE [vs. individual] battles against evil specifically because they are reinforced by the dynamic of what some have called “group think”--attitudes and beliefs that congeal and are reinforced by the number of people who adhere to them or benefit from them. In this dynamic those who are predominantly good but passive can be swept up in the demagoguery of those who are predominantly evil but loud and passionate. Historically, much unnecessary suffering has resulted from this human tendency.

6. Communism is an example of a political system that has capitalized [no pun intended] on this dynamic by fundamentally defining history as a struggle of the oppressed against the oppressor. This mindset is not exclusive to communism. When the human endeavor is fundamentally defined in this paradigm, the human tendency to overlook the evil in the self and demonize the evil in the other is maximized. Tens of millions of people have been murdered when this mindset has taken root in civilizations. This is a historical fact.

7. Judaeo-Christianity and the American Constitution and Democratic Republic that are rooted in its principles [partially stated above], properly lived out, have the potential of providing the enduring revolution that evolves the human family toward justice, equality, and peace at the pace at which these can realistically be attained. An accurate account of history reveals that this enduring revolution has indeed been happening. [The end of slavery; women’s rights and the elevation of womanhood; the success of the Civil Rights Movement, and now the progressive transcendence of “systemic racism”.] Patience and diligence are equally important in this process. Without diligence we stagnate in oppression. And without patience we fail to see our progress and face the tendency of over-reacting and destroying the foundations that provide us the platform for continued progress. This points toward the value of both the Conservative and the Liberal endeavors. The Liberal endeavor militates against stagnation and keeps us moving forward. The Conservative endeavor keeps us from “throwing out the baby with the bath water” so to speak. It works to “conserve” only that which has served all members of the human family well. Both endeavors are equally important and beneficial when lived out inside the parameters of the extremes on either side. But the benefits of both can only be contributed to the society in a context of civility in which neither side demonizes and rejects the other in a wholesale manner.

Mark Graham

[I hope you will share this]

John Yoo: Trump defends Constitution

https://youtu.be/RnPpIlhh16I

Jesus and Politics

 

When Jesus was born, Herod was the king of the Jews [their "president"]. He was so evil that Augustus said that his pigs were safer than his children (because his children potentially threatened his power.) In the Second Chapter of the Gospel of Luke we read about him. When the Magi traveled through Jerusalem, following the star that was leading them to what they had come to understand was the birth of a King, Herod said "Let me know when you find him so I can come and worship him also." His true intent was to murder him. Politics has always had a gruesome side--like life itself. Evil is real; and no arena of life is able to shut it out. Only the heart that has been redeemed and enlightened by the Christ (Who was protected by Divine intervention from the evil intent of Herod and Who has shown us the Way of Truth) can be perpetually protected from evil. This is true because we know, through Christ, that the Way of Life is the Way of Love--the Love that He manifested to the human family, and that He makes available to all who "seek, ask and knock".  Only to the degree that we are motivated by this Love are we free from the ravages and control of evil. His ultimate freedom was evident in His prayer from the Cross: "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." He was still loving! Nothing--not the hatred, mockery, cruelty, false accusations, abandonment, betrayal, physical torture or being nailed to a Cross --nothing could penetrate His soul of Love for the human family. And what a victory! Even today, on the streets of our violence-torn cities, divided by prejudice, fear and anger, those who are speaking with the clearest and most healing voices are speaking the language of Jesus the Christ. "Love one another! We're all God's children! Pray for one another! We got to stop killin' each other! Stop this violence! Stop it!" Martin Luther King, Jr., that Baptist preacher, knew that violence could never win the day. He was immersed in Jesus' teachings. Preached them repeatedly from the pulpit. Jesus has solved the problem of violence for all who hear and heed His voice: "You have always been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I say to you, Love your enemies; bless those who curse you; do good to those who hate you; and pray for those who despitefull use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father in heaven." Mt. 5:44.  Remember: He not only spoke these words, He lived the reality of them!

Until we get to this place of heart and mind, all our solutions will be temporary and restrictive in nature. No politician can redeem the hearts of humans. And no laws, military or police force can totally block evil. Education does not provide spiritual enlightenment. (Hitler was educated and intelligent!)

The solution to our social diseases will not be found in politics, law enforcement or education. These are only helpful to the degree that they are being enacted in a social climate of humans who have been and are being enlightened by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. All other goals and motives are distractions or palliative at best.

In America we have had an unprecedented opportunity to be a "Light on a hill" to the rest of the world; not by proclaiming ourselves to be better, more powerful or more righteous than other peoples, but by taking responsibility for the freedom that we have been given by "Divine Providence" (as our Founding Fathers clearly understood) and using it for the benefit of humankind. Not by selfishly grasping for more and more "rights" or sinking into a quagmire of hedonistic pleasure; but by practicing the spiritual disciplines that are a pathway to and manifestation of the only true freedom that exists: the freedom of the soul that Jesus expressly provides. ("I come to set at liberty those who are oppressed.") We still have this opportunity! But now, as always, the evils of fear and hatred threaten it. Fear and hatred are parasitical, draining away the life-force of Love. And Jesus delivers us from them! I beg you, as one who loves America and desires her to become what God has given her the potential of becoming, join the enduring revolution! Recognize the Lordship of Jesus! I challenge you to try to find a purer, more enlightened pathway than the one He walked and taught. If you can, walk in it! But if you can't, then why waste your time on anything less. Work on behalf of the Christian Faith. Support those who propagate the Gospel of peace around the world. This would be an enlightened thing for even an atheist to do, since the Christian faith infuses any society (like "salt" and "yeast") with freedom and life-enhancing qualities that are good for all--not just Christians.  And when the general population of any nation is predominantly enlightened by Christ, there is peace and harmony among the people. Jesus said, "They will know that you are my disciples by the love that you have for each other."

Please God! This is how we want to be known! May the world see America as a nation of people who sincerely love each other; and who also love the entire human family.

A GOOD LIFE

 

I have lived a good life. I have loved and been loved by a good woman; a woman who deeply loved and delighted in the children we brought into the world. We delighted in them [and in their children] together. I have found forgiveness and peace and rest in my soul in Jesus Christ, through Whom I have discovered my atonement with our Creator, Who is Love---Love beyond all human love; the Source of all Love and goodness and wisdom and freedom. I have been liberated from fear and the “worries and cares of the world and the desire for riches” as He so eloquently described it. I have known deep and loyal friendships. I am thankful with a deep and growing gratitude. I know that death is my “final victory”--a sometimes daunting doorway to new adventures—another birth. My soul has been awakened to beauty: the unspeakable beauty of womanhood, children, and the infinite beauty of nature. I have wept in grief of all the sorrows of the world and laughed til tears flowed from my eyes. I have helped some brothers and sisters carry their loads down the road, and I have been carried in the arms of human compassion---compassion that has penetrated the wellsprings of my soul from which tears of joy flowed like pure healing waters. I have seen, with eyes clarified by the sincere pursuit of Truth, the colossal battle of good and evil, and have come to rest in the assurance of the ultimate triumph of goodness [if we all do our part!]. Christ, the Cross, and the Resurrection are the supreme icons of this Reality. It is very fitting that we should demarcate all human history by His time on the earth. I have come into a deepening awareness of, and have tried to articulate [I am trying now] the ineffable goodness of life and consciousness. The very fact of our consciousness, our ability to communicate, love, laugh, create, empathize, etc., should be a source of unending amazement and overflowing gratitude. We are a compendium of countless miracles. Every one of the multi-trillion cells composing our bodies is a miracle—every organ; every system working together to maintain our life and consciousness. And we are at one with the earth and universe, which are miracles beyond comprehension. We should be dancing!

Ultimate Truth

 

The ultimate Truth is Love.

This Love has been revealed to us by our Creator through Jesus the Christ. We cannot find in human history a greater Love than that which Christ revealed. When we hear Him as He is, our souls resonate with a depth that we know to be eternal Truth or Reality: this Love. Our lives then become the joyful journey of living out this Reality, empowered by the gift of His Holy Spirit. We continue to have weaknesses and failures. We are like the Apostle Paul who confessed that he could not do the good that he willed, and did the evil that he did not want to do. But we realize, along with Paul, that all our sins and weaknesses have been poured over by forgiveness through the atoning blood of Christ. And we have peace with our Creator in Him. That peace is real---not just ink on a page or pixels on a screen—but a living internal reality. He satisfies ALL our cravings. We “thirst no more” as He said.

Preserve America

“The quality or measure of life’s meaning is in whether a person tries today to express love in the best way that he can. NOW. There is no other ultimate yardstick for human significance. Personal accomplishments, career growth and advancements, or goal achievements are satisfying. But, in and for themselves, they have no ultimate value without the growth of love!” Lewis F. Presnall

Diversity does not necessarily result in polarizing divisions between people IF there is a unifying factor. But without a unifying factor, history has proven ad nauseum that diversity devolves, rapidly or slowly, into conflict. This is true no matter if the diversity is geographical, racial, cultural, the color of skin, dialect, religion, or even gender. Humans have an innate tendency to project evil into that which is different from the self---to elevate one’s own tribe above others and look down upon the other condescendingly; or to envy and hate it if it appears or claims to be superior. An important question for Americans to ask is, “What is our unifying factor?” Our common Christian faith, with it’s gentle Progenitor's command to love one’s enemies, has filled that role until recently in our history, even with its many factions. As it has receded from this role, social conflict has escalated. A good slogan for our time might be:

PRESERVE AMERICA! PROMOTE CHRISTIANITY!

Christianity, when lived out according to the Truth of its namesake, provides a unity of Love between diverse groups of people without destroying their beautiful, God-ordained diversity. Indians can be Indians, African Americans can be African Americans, Jews can be Jews, Hispanics can be Hispanic, even Muslims can be Muslims in a Christian environment. But take away the leaven of Christianity---the command to Love, the Spirit and power of Love---and things start to deteriorate. The boundaries and the hearts start to harden. Rigor mortis sets in.

America's Unique Gift

The more I learn about history and the “human condition” and the more deeply I look into what is happening in America and in the world, the more I love and value the American ideal. I am amazed at what our Founders established in our Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights. I am amazed at the foundational simplicity and profundity of “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.” I am inspired by the idea of a government established to limit its own power instead of garnering power for itself. I am thankful that our Founders recognized the invasive and corrosive tendencies of the lust for power in the human heart, and established a government ingeniously designed to limit that power. I am amazed, when I look at the course of governments in history, that our Founders founded our Republic on the understanding that “all men are created equal” with “inalienable rights” that were and are “endowed by {our} Creator”---not doled out by the whims of those in power. What an amazing gift has been given to us by our Founders. But I fear for the American ideal. Our Founders knew from the beginning that a democracy is fragile and dependent upon the spiritual maturity of the people governed. Our enemies are betting that we will not be able to attain or maintain this level of maturity. Government “of, by and for the people” depends upon people who are capable of maintaining a bond of unity based upon the common good, transcending selfishness and what Geo. Washington called the “party spirit”---a malady characterized by a greater allegiance to a party or faction than to the nation as a whole. There are many factions in America today; not just two political parties. And there are many, especially in academia, who seem to hate America. They not only major on her faults [and, of course, America, as all nations, has her faults] but they tend to morbidly exaggerate them and overlook her goodness and strength. They have the wisdom of viruses or cancer cells which, if successful, destroy the host that they invade and themselves in the process. They speak the language of hatred. They magnify and feed on the discontent of citizens. And discontent is a spiritual malady that cannot be healed by politicians or systems of government. Until we discover the Source of contentment, we will not know how to govern ourselves. Our Founders knew this Source, and desired all to have free access to it. That is why they established “freedom of religion.” It is also why they, early on, established free public education; so that citizens would be able to read the Bible and judge politicians and the laws that would in the future be enacted by its gold standard of Truth [If you doubt this Google “Old Deluder Satan Act”. And/or visit historian David Barton’s “Wallbuilder” site]. The roots of our democracy are inextricably intertwined with the roots of Christianity. This is an undeniable historical fact. Christianity has provided the fertile soil and basic truths upon which this great nation has been founded. Christianity has been the immune system of this nation, protecting it from the invasive “viruses” and “bacteria” of hateful polarizations, the lust for power, and the demise of civil unity. As the knowledge and application of the Bible and the Spirit that it fosters has deteriorated, so has peace, unity and harmony in our nation. The unfounded fear of theocracy [Christ would never allow it] and the false belief that the secular mind, bereft of spiritual enlightenment, can govern itself have been corrosive to the American ideal. If we extricate Christianity from democracy, we will certainly destroy it. It will not have a unifying foundation and fabric suitable for its survival. It will degenerate into factions and parties selfishly vying for power and “rights”. And this will always have the volatile potential to escalate into violence enacted to procure that power and those rights.

The most potent way to preserve America is to promote the Christian Faith. Anyone who deeply understands the New Testament will certainly see this truth. And the fact that many do not have a deep understanding of the New Testament is a symptom of the problem here being elucidated. Our Founders had a profound understanding of and allegiance to it. They quoted it profusely, publicly and privately. If you are interested in pursuing the facts and ideas of this post, I encourage you to examine the following sources:

1. Geo. Washington’s Farewell Address of 1796 https://www.ourdocuments.gov/print_friendly.php?flash=false&page=transcript&doc=15&title=Transcript+of+President+George+Washingtons+Farewell+Address+%281796%29 [A must read for anyone interested in American government

2. Dinesh D’Souza’s movie “America….” 3. Wallbuilders website