Looking ahead while using the rear view mirror

Editor’s note: I have found that blogging on a regular basis is very difficult to maintain. Because the subjects I write about are very important, I feel it necessary to renew my commitment to keep this blog updated more often. I do apologize for the irregular intervals of my updates and look forward to adding new posts more often. And now the new post.


Looking ahead while using the rear view mirror

Last week I attended the funeral of my wife’s uncle Ben. Funerals, of course, are a time for reflection. This was no exception. The priest did something interesting this time however; he did a little genealogical research on Ben’s family. I’ve always found genealogies intriguing, but only pay them passing attention. I quickly realized that as a pastor and amateur historian, genealogies create a way for us to connect to history. John 10:10 Jesus says, “the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” The thief has done a lot of stealing over the years he has taken our history and our roots. He has stolen our understanding of the founding fathers. In so doing, he has stolen our national identity and destroyed a way of life.

 In 2 Timothy 1:3-10, the apostle Paul reminds Timothy of his heritage of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois who both brought him up in the word of the Lord.  We should remember that our founding fathers, although not perfect, were in most cases God-fearing Bible believing Christians. Their vision of this country was that of a Christian nation. That never meant an exclusively Christian nation, but a nation dedicated to Christian principles nonetheless.  I should point out, that contrary to popular belief, there’s nothing wrong with this point of view.

Recent polls show that the majority of Americans are both conservative and Christian. While we should never exclude the views and opinions of the minority, the will of the people may still be expressed. For whatever reason, America has become a nation ruled by the minority rather than the majority. It is time once again for the majority to become active in how its government is operated. For far too long “Christians” have allowed in leadership, men and women who do not share their stated values. It is time once again to search out leaders that hold Christian values, have integrity, and are willing to lead by the courage of their convictions.

It is time once again to tell the stories of our families and our ancestors. We tell the stories not only for our children but for ourselves. We need to be reminded of who we are, this is how we develop a national identity. We must be willing to shut off the television and spend some time with our children and our spouses to read our Bibles to share our points of view and maybe even read the Constitution. When we do these things would develop in ourselves something greater.