We are the United States of America. Whether looking at our history or the present, one might think we are more divided than united. Actually, we are united in much more than we are divided about, and always have been. To have fifty independent states join together as a nation is a historic anomaly. To hold together for as long as we have is a historic miracle. Will this miracle continue? Every generation has had to decide this, and now it is our turn.
Because the extremes in any group tend to be the loudest, it may seem that our nation is fighting all of the time about everything. Actually, it is usually only a few on the fringes making most of the noise, but perceptions can be powerful and often override realities until they become the reality.
This does not imply that with the exception of the loud extremes the rest of the nation is in unity on everything. We are probably not in perfect unity on anything, which is to be expected. For most of the people to be united on most things most of the time is about as well as we can expect to do in this age. This is not to deny that we have had serious divisions, and some of these may seem to be what now defines us. A greater reality is how many serious issues we have worked out in the past, we are making progress on today.
One almost universal historical truth is that anything that happens too fast or too easily is usually insignificant. The more important the issue, the more likely it is to be harder and take longer to work out. If impatience drives us to go faster than we should, the results are likely to be somewhere between superficial and just wrong.
As covered previously, The Constitution gives us a brilliant way to resolve conflicts between the states and the Federal Government, and the states with one another. The divisions that we seem incapable of resolving are mostly the result of ignoring The Constitution’s provisions for working them out. The Constitution left social issues to the states and to the people to resolve because they were closest to them and would have to live with them. It may take longer to work them out for the whole country this way, but the results will be better, have a better chance of lasting, and not foment the kind of divisions we’re now suffering from.
Though we are called to uphold our name of being the United States, it would help us to be more united if we would not try to unite around too much. We are called to be united on the basics outlined in The Constitution. This may sound counter-intuitive at first, but we need to be divided on many other issues, even very important ones. To be divided on these does not mean that we are called to have conflict because of them, but we are to be a nation where there is the freedom to face these issues, debate them openly, and try solutions on the state and local levels until solutions are found that the rest of the country will want to adopt.
That the present conflicts have persisted for so long is a testimony to how the people have refused to accept the unconstitutional Federal mandates that were imposed on them. This indicates that the heartbeat of liberty is still strong in many. This is a reason for hope.
According to The Bible, when there were just two brothers on the whole earth they could not get along. This has not changed, and most people have trouble getting along with others. With the first two brothers the trouble went too far, and there is always the danger that disputes grow into conflict. However, it is presently the natural state of people to have differences. If you want to see a people in perfect peace and unity, go to a cemetery. The dead are in perfect unity. Healthy discord should not discourage us, but encourage us that people are still alive enough to care.
One historian referred to the first ten years of the American Republic as being just one big shouting match. Two of our greatest Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were the leaders of each side of this great dispute. Tragically they became bitter enemies for years. Then Benjamin Rush, another Founding Father, had a dream that he shared with Jefferson and Adams that led to their reconciliation. These two great champions of liberty entered eternity together on the same day on July 4, 1826, exactly fifty years from the day they had signed The Declaration of Independence together. That is too remarkable to have just been a coincidence.
Great issues require great debates. If we are mature they will not degenerate into shouting, much less violence. Even so, the most wise and mature do not always act wise and mature. So for there to be any hope of unity, we need to have a lot of patience and forgiveness. Aren’t those the very basics of our faith?
If we subdue the other side with shouting or violence, these actions do not change hearts, and the seeds of discord will continue to grow until the other side feels strong enough to fight again. That is why Jesus said that Satan cannot cast out Satan, and evil tactics never result in the vanquishing of evil, but only multiply it.
In Matthew 5:9 Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” In times of rising discord as we see in our land today, peacemakers may be some of our most valuable citizens. However, those who are seeking to only reduce or eliminate the discord often cause deeper and more serious problems that erupt later if the real issues are not addressed. Do we really bring peace if we just calm down the debate, but fail to resolve the actual issue that is causing the discord?
The prophet Jeremiah addressed this, saying "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:14). Real and lasting peace does require addressing and finding solutions for the things that divide us. We don’t want to forget or compromise this, but the path to get there requires us to behave as the sons and daughters of the King of kings that we even more represent in this world.
The foundation of our faith in God is that we trust His word to be true. The faith people have that our words are true will be the foundation of trust that builds bridges strong enough to hold the weight of the important issues of our time.
Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle… The duty of an upright administration is to pursue its course steadily, to know nothing of these family dissentions, and to cherish the good principles of both parties. –Thomas Jefferson
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights. Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. –The Declaration of Independence
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© 2020 by Rick Joyner. All rights reserved.
