My Conundrum

After yesterday's post, I began to reflect on an area of concern that has preoccupied me for years, one that still animates my thinking but nevertheless remains unresolved. My conundrum involves the at times awkward juxtaposition of my faith and my love of country. For an innumerable many, there is no conflict between these; indeed, they align well for many. For an innumerable number of others, the two are at the core diametrically opposed, that to choose one must mean denying the other. I'm not sure I fall cleanly in either camp, and the result is a tension that while not a monumental distraction, does however frequently leave me with some disquiet.

I love my country. It was founded on what I believe to be Godly principles, coinciding with an era of wonderful spiritual awakening that inspired many to seek and establish a refuge that allowed for the cultivation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - to include the freedom to worship the Lord God as each individual was so moved. And while we are certainly far from perfect, given our natural state as fallen beings, there is little argument that our Nation through the years has been blessed, and has been a light to others throughout the world yearning to be free. I say this not to boast, but to acknowledge the largely positive force for good America has been to the world. Again, we are fallen, and we have our national sins throughout our history. Our modern culture, for each progressive step forward, appears to be in moral retreat. Our fervor is muted, and our aspirations limited. The war of ideas of what America is and should be is being waged all around us, and I wonder if there will come a time when as a society we will cast off the virtues that brought us into being. But because I love my country, and because I cherish the blessings we have received from the Giver of gifts, I confess I spend considerable emotional and intellectual energies on the hope and desire that this Nation will survive, return to an understanding of core values and founding principles, if only because we have been given so much that it is incumbent upon us to continue to shine that light of liberty that even today gives hope to the world.

And yet, there is another truth that is plain to see. And that is this: the spiritual awakening that helped usher us in as a Nation in the 18th century, and the waves that followed, seems to have subsided. Statistics show that the Church is in decline in America, even as the Gospel flourishes in Africa and Asia. Here, in the most free and prosperous society in the world, the spiritual dynamic pales in comparison to those places in the world where there is less freedom, more tyranny and oppression, and want. And while I am absolutely certain that a people can be both prosperous and spiritually vibrant, it is hard to dismiss the correlation that is evidenced by the movement of God among the nations. God is no respecter of persons; He blesses whomever He chooses to bless. I am sure that I'm not alone in wrestling with this tension between our relative prosperity and the condition of our faith - indeed, I wonder if that in part is what undergirds much of our generous and charitable nature as a society in the face of disasters both natural and man-made.

Whenever I ponder matters such as these, I always arrive back at the same point: This world, and this Nation, is but a temporary phenomenon in the scope of time. As a Christ-follower, I am convinced that there is an end to history as it plays out here on earth. I long for my eternal home, and yet I also long for renewal and restoration of America's soul, if you will. Would that we would, as a society, recognize the wisdom of the Apostle Paul when he spoke of freedom, in understanding that while much may be permissible, not everything is beneficial. That if we could but seek to preserve and protect a societal environment that enables both individual freedom and the wisdom to exercise restraint, these are worthwhile things. But then I despair, for as a human being, how deeply am I aware of my own impulse to deny my own fallen nature, and choose my own course of action apart from wisdom! Apart from the movement of God, it is not clear to me that there are many examples - if any at all - of established societies doing anything but following the cycle of decay. And so as I ponder the future of our beloved Nation, I struggle to see how a genuine restoration of society can occur of the order required to perpetuate this American experiment. For even if we do, someone will always seek to build the next Tower of Babel, or will choose to forget the lessons of the past in favor of the pride of now. To preserve what is ultimately temporary seems a great, if not impossible, challenge.

Perhaps I am unusual for wondering such things. I realize that all I can do is to humble myself and pray, and to do the best I can to walk faithfully, knowing that for the time I am here on earth, I will have to give an account for the wonderful gifts I have received. And I can be salt and light, seeking to illuminate the Truth while I can, and season the world by quietly influencing those around me. I don't see it as wrong to desire a better America that can be preserved for my children and grandchildren. But that desire must be placed in the context of the true reality of its temporal nature. For inasmuch as I would love to see and experience an awakening and reclamation of first principles and, to put It crudely, the "growing-up" of culture - I would far rather see this fed and fired as before by a new spiritual awakening that sweeps the land. One can hope, I suppose. And pray.