What Really Accounts for Our National Greatness?

The genesis of this nation -- what became the United States of America -- was the putting into governing practice a wonderfully startling idea: That "greatness" in a man was attached to what he (or she) made of themselves, not something dependent on their conditions at birth.

Our first President was known for his genuine nobility -- an actual character of honesty, humility and strength. Our oft-considered greatest President, Abraham Lincoln -- a man born in what today would be seen as intolerable poverty -- for his intelligence, thoughtfulness and hard-won learning. Our greatest early spokesman to the world, Benjamin Franklin, was a self-made man known for his thoughtful view of life and his original scientific thinking. -All this at a time when the commonly held idea of "nobility" -- one held throughout Europe and Asia -- was simply a "good" birth, wealth and fancy clothes with little or no thought to honor, intelligence, moral integrity or accomplishment.

And yet who are we as a people and a nation more like today? Which society?

What place has "honor" "honesty" "integrity" "intelligence" "originality" "accomplishment" in our scheme of things?

We accept as normal having candidates for public office who outright lie to the people. We hang on the words of people who have no accomplishments apart from birth, wealth, physical attractiveness and fancy belongings. We sneer at actual accomplished except in a few, narrow, fields of endeavor.

If we want to again enjoy the rich lives of our predecessors during the times of America's earlier "greatness" we must first as a people recognize what made that America great to start with. -We must strive for and emulate those things: Honor, honesty, intelligence, originality and genuine accomplishment. For some time we as a people have largely denied that such things exist or ever really existed. And some still do.

It is time for this to change.  This is another key area in which we as a nation must return to our roots.

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The Needed "Cleansing" of our Republic

These day's most of us do relatively little Bible quoting. But there are times when a certain verse, or a series of verses, comes to one's mind. -As do these words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

"They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace." (Jer. 6:14)

In context, with side notes, the Berean Study Bible puts it this way: “For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain. From prophet to priest, all practice deceit. They have dressed the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all. Were they ashamed of the abomination they committed? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse,” says the LORD."

I'd not speak for the God of the Bible as to how he will act -- or is acting -- re what is happening in our republic, "one nation under God." That's His business both as to his acts, and who he might assign to speak and act on His behalf. But that text quoted above does do something else: It allows for a rather different approach than the "oh, let's all be friends!" pieties we so often hear today when hurt is done to a free people. -Pious nonsense such is, in part, because it only goes one way. The hurters call for it when their hurting is done. "Mercy! Mercy!" they then (and only then) call out.

Solomon spoke to this unfortunate reality with these words: There is "a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

So, yes, mercy and kindness and goodness and forgiveness all have a part, and all have their time -- for such will eventually bring healing. But it is equally so that such sometimes need to be placed 'on hold'. That first the festering wounds must be cleaned. For only then can a true healing take place.

What does that mean in practical terms for you and me? What does this mean for our leaders who truly do want to see a healing?

That this may not yet be the time for quietude, or gentleness -- or even (quite yet) forgiveness. -That first 'the money changers' need be driven from the temple. That a cleansing of the offices of government must first take place.

No, not a pogrom. Not a French style retribution with gallows and guillotine. But a removal from any position in government that would allow such people to continue to do harm to the many.

That perhaps too much latitude has been given to those attached to the old regime who were allowed to remain in places of trust.

When such has been revealed -- when such has been determined -- it is time for them to go.

As did President Trump in recent days with the Vindman brothers.

No, such is not "retaliation." It is a necessary cleansing. A necessary prelude to a healing.

I say that the removal of these men from their offices and responsibilities should not be the end, but merely the beginning. -That of removing the 'unhealthy tissue,' the diseased and corrupted flesh. That the cleansing of the people should not be done, as Jeremiah said, "lightly," but with thoroughness, vigor and strength.

Mercy and kindness will have thier time and place too. Yes. But first this.

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