"We must always consider...that we shall be as a city upon a hill--the eyes of all people are upon us." John F. Kennedy (1)
Freedom and liberty. Our hearts yearn for it. American's are blessed with it. But what is it, and can we keep it?
Did you know America's founders saw our form of government as radical, risky, and fragile? Benjamin Franklin said as much when he responded to a citizen who had asked him, as he exited the Constitutional Convention in 1787 (2), what type of government they had forged. "A republic...if you can keep it.", he answered.
What exactly did Franklin mean? The idea of American liberty, or self-government was unprecedented in history. There was no guarantee it was going to work.
Most of us have forgotten this and other significant aspects of America's history, said Eric Metaxas in his book, If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty. Nevertheless, the burden of "keeping it" as Franklin said, is excruciatingly important. Ronald Reagan once said: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction". In his book, Metaxas lamented he was "gravely afraid we are in serious danger of letting [the flame of freedom] go out in our generation."
His book serves as a warning, but he offers encouraging ideas to help us remember our history, keep our republic, and pass it on to the next generation.
The Golden Triangle of Freedom was understood to be crucial to the long-term success of America, and explains why the founders believed the populace was ready for self governance:
1. Freedom requires virtue (3, 10)
2. Virtue requires faith (4)
3. Faith requires Freedom (5)
Metaxas explains it here: https://youtu.be/Vjxo5wEjM7w (6)
Venerating our Heroes has fallen out of favor in America, to our detriment. But we need stories of our heroes to inspire us. Consider Nathan Hale, who volunteered to go behind enemy lines for George Washington and was captured. His last words before being hanged were "My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country". He was 21 years old. Let that sink in for a moment. His sacrifice should move us to tears.
Loving America
If America is to survive, we must love the best of America while acknowledging her worst. We shouldn't pretend America can do no wrong, nor should we cynically view "America as the world's problem". The current ideological battle between these two camps in America is deeply destructive to our culture.
Abraham Lincoln saw the ugliness of slavery and led the nation into war to stop it. But he also loved America, believed she was God's gift to the world, and called her "the last great hope on earth".
How do we love America? Metaxas suggests studying art from our early history (7) and using remembrance and ritual, including with our children (8), as a beginning.
The promise of America is for future generations and even the world. (9) You and I simply must pass it on!
Perhaps Ronald Reagan summarized it best: "If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth."
Footnotes:
(1) Excerpted from City on a Hill, by John Winthrop, who based it on Jesus's words in Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
(2) Independence Hall, Philadelphia, USA.
(3) "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom" (Benjamin Franklin). Self government requires people to govern themselves.
(4) "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." (President John Adams). The influence of Reverend George Whitefield, known as the spiritual founding father of America, had led to widespread faith in God throughout the American colonies.
(5) The "wall of separation between the church and state", coined by President Thomas Jefferson, means religious liberty will be respected and encouraged, but the national government cannot favor one church over another. People are free to worship as they desire.
(7) For example, Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride", the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware,
or the Iwo Jima statue in Washington D.C., and the movie "Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington", which is critical of America but in a hopeful and
inspiring way.
(8) Having children cite portions of Paul Revere's Ride on April 18, the Declaration of Independence on July 4, and do something to remember Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and George Washington on February 22. We should do this in our communities, in front of town halls, libraries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, and especially in our schools.
(9) Metaxas explains this in depth in his book. Perhaps the Declaration of Independence summarizes it best: 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.
(10) For more discussion and quotes on the emphasis on God during the founding of America, see my blog post about my visit to Washington DC: Emphasis of America's Founding Fathers on God.
 |
| The Statue of Liberty faces outward towards the nations, carrying a torch and holding it high, as if to say "This is not just for us, it's meant for you too..." (excerpt from City on a Hill, John Winthrop. Photo by Dale Bremer |
Did you know America's founders saw our form of government as radical, risky, and fragile? Benjamin Franklin said as much when he responded to a citizen who had asked him, as he exited the Constitutional Convention in 1787 (2), what type of government they had forged. "A republic...if you can keep it.", he answered.
What exactly did Franklin mean? The idea of American liberty, or self-government was unprecedented in history. There was no guarantee it was going to work.
Most of us have forgotten this and other significant aspects of America's history, said Eric Metaxas in his book, If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty. Nevertheless, the burden of "keeping it" as Franklin said, is excruciatingly important. Ronald Reagan once said: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction". In his book, Metaxas lamented he was "gravely afraid we are in serious danger of letting [the flame of freedom] go out in our generation."
His book serves as a warning, but he offers encouraging ideas to help us remember our history, keep our republic, and pass it on to the next generation.
The Golden Triangle of Freedom was understood to be crucial to the long-term success of America, and explains why the founders believed the populace was ready for self governance:
1. Freedom requires virtue (3, 10)
2. Virtue requires faith (4)
3. Faith requires Freedom (5)
Metaxas explains it here: https://youtu.be/Vjxo5wEjM7w (6)
Venerating our Heroes has fallen out of favor in America, to our detriment. But we need stories of our heroes to inspire us. Consider Nathan Hale, who volunteered to go behind enemy lines for George Washington and was captured. His last words before being hanged were "My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country". He was 21 years old. Let that sink in for a moment. His sacrifice should move us to tears.
Loving America
If America is to survive, we must love the best of America while acknowledging her worst. We shouldn't pretend America can do no wrong, nor should we cynically view "America as the world's problem". The current ideological battle between these two camps in America is deeply destructive to our culture.
Abraham Lincoln saw the ugliness of slavery and led the nation into war to stop it. But he also loved America, believed she was God's gift to the world, and called her "the last great hope on earth".
 |
| "Washington Crossing the Delaware". An 1851 painting by Emanuel Leutze. Metaxas suggests that we study art such as this with our children to teach them (and us) to appreciate and love America. |
The promise of America is for future generations and even the world. (9) You and I simply must pass it on!
Perhaps Ronald Reagan summarized it best: "If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on Earth."
Footnotes:
(1) Excerpted from City on a Hill, by John Winthrop, who based it on Jesus's words in Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
(2) Independence Hall, Philadelphia, USA.
(3) "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom" (Benjamin Franklin). Self government requires people to govern themselves.
(4) "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." (President John Adams). The influence of Reverend George Whitefield, known as the spiritual founding father of America, had led to widespread faith in God throughout the American colonies.
(5) The "wall of separation between the church and state", coined by President Thomas Jefferson, means religious liberty will be respected and encouraged, but the national government cannot favor one church over another. People are free to worship as they desire.
(6) For a longer, entertaining, and fascinating discussion about his book, listen to this video (https://youtu.be/UmtOdNtCTxg):
(8) Having children cite portions of Paul Revere's Ride on April 18, the Declaration of Independence on July 4, and do something to remember Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and George Washington on February 22. We should do this in our communities, in front of town halls, libraries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, and especially in our schools.
(9) Metaxas explains this in depth in his book. Perhaps the Declaration of Independence summarizes it best: 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.
(10) For more discussion and quotes on the emphasis on God during the founding of America, see my blog post about my visit to Washington DC: Emphasis of America's Founding Fathers on God.
