Jonathots Daily Blog
(2280)
God is still pretty popular.
America, too.
Yet there are many people who believe the two are synonymous–practically inseparable.
Thus the populie: “God bless America.”
Politics loves this slogan because it enables them to incorporate just enough religion to get the evangelical vote and just enough patriotism to acquire the libertarians.
Entertainment plays off the idea by producing both tear-jerking war movies and also flicks that question the authenticity and purpose of nationalism.
And of course, religion is partial to this idiom simply due to the fact that if we are convinced that we are favored by God, we might be able to get by with a few more inconsistencies before Daddy calls a time-out.
Yet as we near Independence Day, I am focused in on the power and veracity of the statement, “To he who much is given, much is expected.”
So because I love my country, respect our attempts at democracy and favor our liberty, I would like to deny the populie of “God bless America” and replace it with, “God challenge America.”
I know that God chastises those He loves–to make us sharper and more powerful. Yet we are losing our authority, presence and respectability due to the belief in our exceptionalism.
- When it comes to women, we should be world leaders in equality, but we trail behind others.
- We should take it seriously to stop killing. After all, when we discover a few packages of tainted ground beef in a grocery store, every package is recalled. Yet if twenty-two children are killed in a school, we continue to taint our lives with guns.
- We should expand ourselves in equality by including others we do not agree with, honoring their right to freedom. God respects free will above all else, even purity.
- We should be a nation that excels in productivity. For instance, I think we’re taking the wrong approach to the minimum wage. To give people more money for what they’re already doing is not only foolish, but actually a slothful business practice. But by the same token, if we can encourage productivity in our work force while passing along the dividends by increasing paychecks retroactively or offering bonuses, then we’re making our workers part of the solution instead of tying them in with the problem.
- Why aren’t we leaders in morality?
- How about civility?
- Instead of arguing about the climate of the Earth, why don’t we at least see if there’s something we could do and then surprise ourselves by doing it?
- Why don’t we take our young generation and encourage them to be respectful, industrious and creative instead of working to legalize more drugs, to dull their senses?
- Why do we allow our older citizens to become bitter and calloused instead of demanding they use their journey to become wise and merciful?
- If we truly do have the best medical care in the world, why aren’t we healthier?
Hiding your talent and refusing to use it is considered to be the definition of a sluggard.
Knowing what to do and not doing it is the best example of sin.
And living beneath your privilege only generates self-pity.
The populie is, “God bless America”–a way to live off the past by pretending that the present is sufficient because a Divine Presence controls our future.
My hope in this season is that we will allow God to challenge America to live up to our ideals, abilities and dreams.
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