Message for the Miserable

An awful lot of people seem to be very unhappy these days. Many of them seem to think it's because their political party is not in power. They think the country is going astray, they think the opposite party is bent on destroying our way of life in America. Well, I am here tonight to say that is not reason enough to be miserable. In the United States we are coming upon 250 years as a sovereign nation, and from the beginning there have been clashes among people who believe differently. But we have a very good Constitution, even though even that seems to be in question these days. Personally, I think if everybody tried reading it things would improve immeasurably, but, instead, it seems like we have all become more opinionated than informed about this and related matters. Each side thinks the other side is going to destroy our Republic, although some call it our Democracy, and, of course, there has to be a lot of discussion about the difference between a republic and a democracy. Most people still don't seem to be able to demonstrate that they actually understand the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. And it seems like there has been tension around this since the Constitutional Convention in 1787. What I have learned about the American system of government I have learned mostly by taking the free online courses offered by Hillsdale College, and without a lot of detail (because I feel very much like I'm only beginning to understand it), I just want to say that the Founders knew that people were sinners and the Constitution was based on that assumption. That is why there were so many checks and balances built into our Constitution. Benjamin Franklin said they had formed "a Republic--if you can keep it." These words suggest that it is for the people of a republic to participate in the healthy operation of this government designed for a people to have self government--representative government. Although we were all taught this in school, it looks today as if our government has moved very far off that mark, with larger government and less representation all the time. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." And it seems like we are fighting a war to the knife now to keep our government representative of the people, because there is so much division and anger and hatred among our people. I have never seen so much negativity and strife and confusion and backbiting, certainly nothing that could be called "moral and religious." In fact, it seems that the "moral and religious" qualification has come under severe attack and this attack seems to be heating up. People seem to think socialism was the vision of the Founders. I challenge anyone to demonstrate that from any of the founding documents. For many years the Constitution seems to be more like a bone that dogs are viciously fighting over, rather than a revered document to govern by and live by. Now, as for the misery of the people, then, it seems very clear that we need to become more "moral and religious." Simple, yes? I say it should be, but apparently there is not much agreement about this at present. As for individual misery, the same thing applies. If everyone would settle their account with God and start loving their neighbor as themselves, doing unto others what they would have others do unto them...things would change, but that seems like a bridge too far for people who want their way and want to control others. Loving your neighbor as yourself does not mean having no borders and letting everyone come into our country to live off the people who pay taxes, and that is all I'm going to say about that. What the world needs now is repentance and people changing their ways so we can have a civil society instead of one where every day all you see are people tearing others down. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:15, "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another," and I'm going to leave it there for now. Sweet dreams.