I love the United States of America. It is truly a one of a kind nation. It is a dream that was realized by men and women who left their homelands in pursuit of freedom to freely worship God. They were followed by others who sought freedom from oppressive governments. They were followed by many more who were facing dire poverty and hopeless living conditions.
I value this history. I cherish the memory of it and I see the foundation that was set deep in the roots of this nation. The genius of the constitution and the integrity with which this nation was establish is second to none. The fights fought and the blood shed etched the foundations of the nation on a stable footing.
This nation was built on Godly foundations and on the basis of providing freedom of all kinds to those who could not find it where they were. It continues to be a melting pot for self determining people all over the world. This is the secret of the success. People who intentionally leave their home to pursue a better life will tend to work harder to make that reality happen. A collection of millions of such people gives us what we have in the US.
Along the way, several scars were acquired.
The First Scar: Slavery
While the individual States were being formed independently, a wound was developing in the name of the slave trade. This created a scar that has not fully healed yet. Many scholars worked hard to end it and many politicians thought it was an immorality of the highest standard. They saw the scourge it would cause.
While European indentured servants also worked as slaves, they were released after 4-7 years and given freedom dues to settle and blend into the society. Their scourge was healed. The enslavement of the Africans was vastly different and even after the toughest war in the history of the country, with the highest number of casualties ever, the issue was not fully resolved and remains an open wound in many ways.
The Second Scar: Liberalism
After the end of slavery and the salvaging of the union, the new issue quickly became political power and world domination. The US was quickly growing into being the most powerful nation on earth.
Military might did not grow as fast as spiritual might even though the soul of the nation was preserved fairly well for over 100 years. Liberalism took on a drastic turn in the 60s and 70s and turned into an agenda that openly defies God and opposes a culture of Godly standards.
Liberal culture through the Beatles, Elvis, Woodstock, and other hippie related movements created a loosening of the social morality and a drift from stringent core Christian values in society. The foundation was cracked.
The Third Scar: Postmodernism
This is where we are. Everything is relative and the culture has become so lucid that truth itself is relative. A post modern culture inevitably leads to a humanist philosophy. The question becomes “If we can do everything for ourselves, why do we need God?” Humanists believe they have grasped an explanation for humanity and therefore each one is their own god.
Postmodernism and humanism has led to true Christians having to draw a clear line between ideologies and a separation between true biblical Christianity and the confusion by mixture promoted by the humanist ideologies. If the truth is relative to you and well established for me (in the Word of God), then we have no common ground from which to discuss our differences.
The Spiritual Implications
Scripture clearly implores us to repent of past sins and transgressions. We have an obligation to seek solutions for our culture. I travail for the United States to have a revival of convictions. The only viable solution is a return to core biblical foundations.
Liberals will continue to push the envelope and conservatives will continue to dig their heels in. Many will fall away in these days and relinquish values and beliefs, one at a time, until there will be no difference between truth and fallacy.
I believe that God keeps His hand over the nation due to the millions of true Christians who still seek His name and seek Godly solutions to society’s problems. He cannot go against His own Word.
Heal, Feel, and Deal
The solution is spiritual in nature…
Yet it must lead to healing from historical racial issues.
Yet it must lead to feeling each other’s pain as we empathize and allow ourselves to see things from other people’s perspectives.
Yet we must deal with others as Christ would and only so. How would Christ reach the fatherless? How would He deal with the racist? How would He deal with the victimized? How would He deal with the poor? How would He deal with social injustice? How would He deal with the hurting and wounded?
Pray and seek His way then deal with others only as He would, not as you would.
Nelson Masinde 