The Blue Church

Barbarians were nomads who destroyed the remnants of a civilization they could not understand. And there are similarities between today’s political correctness and the barbarians who sacked Rome A.D. 476.

It all sounds so good. I remember being proud to learn the preamble to the Constitution, and the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, and the Gettysburg Address. I was grateful to be growing up in a nation that could produce these documents.

Hidden in plain sight on our currency is one of our nation’s mottoes. It is from Latin, which most educated people could read in the late 1700’s when it was adopted. It means, simply, “Out of many, one.”

After the final meetings of the Constitutional Convention, September 17, 1787, Ben Franklin was asked (by Elizabeth Willing Powell, a politically active lady of Philadelphia), “What kind of government have we got, a monarchy or a republic?”

We’ve seen that a leadership vacuum leads to chaos (Judges), while unaccountable leadership means abuse of authority (Kings). So what is righteous leadership? Would we know good leaders if we found them?

There is great cultural frustration in Israel’s demand for a king. We critique them for asking Samuel to crown one (1 Samuel 8), but we may forget that Israel had experienced four centuries of civil war, political intrigue, and invasions, as chronicled in the book of Judges.

Actually, there are several problems with Judges. First, many don’t even know where it is in the Bible, and when they find it, aren’t sure why it’s there. When they do get around to reading it, they are shocked and terribly troubled that humans can behave so badly.

Walking with Jesus, we face seeming impossible trials, temptations, opposition, and our own spiritual lethargy. How do we overcome?

Once when my dad expressed some skepticism at something I had said, I defended myself with, “Dad, I read it in the paper.” To which he glibly replied, “Paper lies still. You can put anything on it.”