I could hardly read all the posts and comments yesterday as we all recalled a time when we all united because of tragedy. I remember the days and weeks following Sept. 11, 2001 as a time of healing and strength along with the realization that our peace and sense of safety had been shattered by terrorists on a mission to destroy our country. Americans always pull together in times like this. If one is threatened, we all are threatened…and that’s what being united is all about.
If we look at the United States as a whole, it seems like one big happy family with one goal…following the American dream, but when we break it down into states, we notice so many differences. I have only been in maybe a dozen of our 50 states and can only imagine what the others are like. When traveling by car, you can tell when you cross a state line by the texture of the road beneath your wheels. The pavement becomes smoother or rough, even bumpy in some states. It may be darker or lighter in color, but you can tell a difference.
The same is true with the people. The words and expressions used by people in Indiana are very different from those in Texas, Kentucky, Georgia or any other. Each state seems to have its own culture, accent and feel…Yet we are united. People in most states welcome out-of-state visitors while others look at you as if a foreigner has entered their midst. Time was when doors were never locked and a stranger was just a friend we hadn’t met yet. Not so much anymore. We all have become a little more leery and careful about who we welcome and who we don’t.
Many historians have their opinions as to why and what exactly caused America to unite in the first place. I believe it was God’s divine intervention and the strong faith of a few patriotic believers that started a movement searching for peace and freedom to worship and live as they pleased… rather than being tied to a government that wanted to control their every move and dictated how and what God they must serve.
The land Jesus was born into was ruled by such a government. The religious leaders at that time, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, worked with the government to keep the people under control. These leaders felt threatened by the appearance of Jesus who came to town preaching new ideas and claiming to be sent by God. When the people began to follow Him and saw what He could do, some became afraid and insisted He leave…while others tried to force Him to stay and become their king.
America was built on the foundation of faith in the one true God who had come, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Our fathers and our forefathers knew this to be true and our Presidents have always honored and given God credit for the greatness of our country…that is until greed took over and some in our government began to move away from these principles and ideas that there is only one God and He only should be worshiped. The Constitution that brought us together as a country has now become a document of great controversy which is challenged daily in court hearings by those who think they know best.
America is once again at a crossroad and we must choose between a government that honors and obeys God’s laws or one that promises freedom but wants to control every aspect of our lives. Our united states are now divided by much more than cultures, accents and borderlines. So many have voted for those who view abortion as a solution and a blessing, They have embrased the idea of socialism that offers free college tuition and benefits for those unwilling to work but always ready to take a hand-out.
Too many will vote simply because of the party they are familiar with, unaware of how that party believes. Today’s Democratic party is not your mama’s or daddy’s Democratic party. They seldom mention God and would do away with Him entirely if possible. The ideas they have about women’s rights and being all inclusive goes way over the boundaries of decency. Standing up for the rights of gays is one thing, but forcing their beliefs and teaching our kids that they can be whatever gender they choose to be is beyond the understanding of some of us…thank God. Please, if you consider yourself a Christian, or simply would like our country to return to a place where justice and honor abounds, want freedom to worship without government interference and a choice about what is taught to your children, then pray, study the issues involved… and VOTE.
In order for America to remain a United States, the majority of us have to stand up and hold the people we elect accountable. The government is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people. Let’s make sure it is that way. Your one voice and one vote does count, so let’s not give that privilege to someone else. Let’s see that America remains one country, under God…then give Him the glory, for when we are united in Him, we truly can be called ‘the land of the free.’
