Roots
in Ripon
Chuck
Roots
7
November 2016
Congratulations,
America!
As
you read this we will be most likely in the midst of Election
Day, Tuesday, November 8, 2016. This means our Constitutional system of
government is still intact. No person, or party, or military
strongman has taken over the government to establish a dictatorship,
a socialistic government, or a junta.
Regardless
of how the election results turn out, America is the winner because
our nation continues to move along following the political and
philosophical dreams of our Founding Fathers. Now, don’t
misunderstand. Everything is not all lollypops and roses in our
country. I have attempted to highlight many of the problems in the
past several weeks. But America has not had to endure the endless
cycle of government takeovers, or changes, with new or rewritten
constitutions the way many countries have. Last I read, Italy has
changed governments (not just leaders within their government, but
restructure of how their country is run) 19 different times since the
end of Mussolini and World War II. Here in America we have had one
government for the past 240 years, with the Constitution being
ratified by all 13 original states in 1790, our nation has moved
along fairly well by staying within the Constitutional guidelines.
Since
the end of World War II we have had 12 presidents. The 13th
will either be Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. And in line of
succession, our newest president will be the 45th
president of the United States.
If
you reflect on this achievement, it is quite spectacular that our
nation has been able to stay focused on the importance of the rule of
law as laid out in the Constitution. The office of the president is
still bigger than any single person. Each elected candidate to this
highest office of the land is awed and humbled by the role and
responsibilities associated with the position. Some men have been
crushed by the sheer weight of the job. Others have managed to keep
their heads above water (barely, in some cases), and yet others seem
to have been born to the job.
My
pastor delivered a sermon this past Sunday, entitled, “Being a
Christian in an Election Year.” It was very well done. I am going
to share the gist of it, hopefully doing it justice.
The
basic premise of the message was this: During an election year, we
tend to be, 1. Fearful, 2. Prideful, 3. Selfish, and 4. Divisive.
These are not necessarily stand-alone characteristics. Instead, when
you allow fear to enter into your thinking, the other three (pride,
ego, and division) are nipping at your heels. I would share with you
a passage written by the Apostle Paul in which he admonishes us to
focus on the right things. Read this section carefully:
Philippians
4:6-9: “Don’t
fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises
shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.
Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming
together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful
what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling
your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable,
authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the
beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put
into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and
realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will
work you into his most excellent harmonies.’’ [“The Message”
Translation]
This is great
encouragement because regardless of the election results, a lot of
people are going to be unhappy. So then, based upon this Bible
passage, if God is seated on his eternal throne, then all is well,
and we need not fear anything. However, if God is not on his throne,
then he does not exist and we should be full of fear because we are
all in a world of hurt.
The naysayers from
both political parties foresee the worst-case scenarios should their
candidate lose. It’s easy to get caught up in this fear-mongering
and forget that God is still very much involved in the affairs of the
human race.
As for me, I choose
to trust in God. He has blessed the United States of America, and I
believe he still wants to, in spite of our wandering hearts as a
nation.
So, that’s why I
say, Congratulations, America! Now watch and see what God has yet to
accomplish. Be prepared to be amazed!
God
bless America!
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