America the Beautiful

Hey everybody!

As this is my first post on this blog, I'd like to start things off properly by thanking you all for reading (and hopefully following ;) this new project, and I'd also like to thank my sister, The Cock-Eyed Optimist, for her work in setting up this blog, and for inviting me to be a part of it as well. I look forward to this collaboration, and I hope that you all, as friends and readers, will enjoy (and feel free to comment) on the various post and subjects that we will discuss on these pages.

There. I guess that was as good a start as any, so now I will continue on with the rest of my post.

With a presidential election coming up at the end of this year, alot of people are evaluating and taking stock of the different aspects of our country. From the candidates in the primaries, to news anchors on TV, to local newspapers, to average people like you and me, there is alot of discussion going on, and alot of opinions swirling around. We all have things we love about our nation, that we think are important and worth preserving, and we also see things in our nation that concern us and that in some cases, we take a stand and fight against, and hope to see an end of.

In today's society, I think that we as Christians, can look at what America was founded as, and what she has been in the past, and see that in many areas she has changed- and not necessarily for the better. On many days I get a new message in my inbox related to some new legislative threat to freedom, or another frontier where America's Christian heritage is being attacked, or another round of debt in the federal government, etc.

Sometimes it can be a bit discouraging when we as Christians look with a Biblical worldview at different aspects of our culture and see some significant problems and issues.

I guess what I'd like to talk about today, is what happens next in one of those moments when we are yet again confronted with an area where our nation is definitely not walking in the Lord's truth. Do we get mad? Do we give up? Do we become bitter? Do we spiral into despair? Do we burn ourselves out attempting to bring change?

I've heard people talk about other great civilizations- Babylon, Rome, the Mayans, etc., and point out how though these were once great and materially prosperous cities and empires, there are now not much more than tourist attractions or ancient tales in a history book. These nations were impressive, mighty, etc., but they did not have the Lord as their foundation and defense. It is true that a wicked and God-less nation will not be blessed by the Lord, and it's also true that no matter how materially strong or successful a nation is, it is only built on shifting sand if it's not built on the Lord's truth, and yes, it's true that in many ways, America has strayed and fallen away from the Biblical principles that she was founded on. These things are all true, but what is our response as Christians to this?

As I said before, I think it can be easy to look around at our culture today and become discouraged by the evil that is out there. I think it's right to be disturbed by darkness having a foothold in our nation. But instead of these realizations casting us into hopelessness and putting yokes of fear and bitterness on our backs, I pray that we would be inspired to fight for our nation's heart and tell our countrymen of the wonderful message of hope and peace and God's love toward them in the Gospel.

See, in many ways, I think our country could be compared to a teenager searching for their identity. I wouldn't say that America is in the strongest place of clarity and direction and purpose, and in many ways, I'd say that she doesn't feel too good about herself when she looks in the mirror. In the story of the nation of Israel, we see how things can go when a country is in this sort of place. She can start to look around at her peers. She can think, "Maybe I need what they've got to feel good about myself; to feel worth something". She can start to model and posture after her peers in hopes of finding meaning in their styles, trends, false gods, socialized medicine, etc. In a desperate attempt at finding love and fulfillment, she can be tempted to latch on to any number of false systems, practices, and beliefs, that will ultimately bring about the exact opposite of what she truly needs.

What would you say if all this was describing a young girl that we all knew? Would you berate her? Would you mutter and shake your head? Would you yell insults and accusations, and remind her of how bad off she really is?

Or would you seek to love this girl? To have compassion on her, to tell her of a God that loves her, enough to die for her sins, Who wants to wash away her guilt and shame, and present her as a spotless bride to Himself. Who will speak to her heart the purpose and meaning and comfort that she has been looking for all along in all the wrong places.

See, I don't think this hypothetical teenage girl, and our conflicted, confused nation are all that different. And what's more, I know that more than a new president, more than legislative victories, more than a booming economy, our nation needs Jesus Christ.

As we look at our country today, and as we are used by the Lord in the battle against evil and the stand for good and righteousness in America, I pray that He would fill our hearts with love for our great nation and hope for the good of America and the glory of God in America. That we would overflow with true joy and the good news of the Gospel, and that we would tell America that there is Someone Who loves her. That He has great plans for her, and that in Him she is indeed beautiful.

"O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare of freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea! "

IMHO......

Dear World,
        Has it ever occurred to you how bad we have grown at the art of entertaining ourselves? We must have comedians, we must have television, we must have movies, and ipods and ipads and iknow not what else. We must have thousands of friends on social networking sites and we must let them know exactly what we think at the exact moment we think it. It is no longer good enough that we can send a letter without a stamp via email--no, we must hear the friend's reply (often senseless enough) immediately, and thus instant messaging, chat, and other things were created.
All these technological advances are great boons to our entertainment--I like nothing better than to get on the computer of an evening and chat with my best friends. But I wonder if these advances are as great a boon to our social skills and--perish the thought--our intelligence?
And I'm not the only one who has noticed it. Haven't you seen the little picture going around the internet?

"My Smart-phone made me Stupid."

We've all seen it--those groups of laughing, happy, congenial friends who walk into a restaurant, stare at one another solemnly for a moment, pull out their gadgets, and begin to text across, around, about, before, behind, below the table. I may be a little behind on the technology of the day, and I don't have free texts on my phone,  but I've found my tongue to be a bit quicker in conversation than my fingers could ever be.
My friends and I often lament the lack of real wit in today's conversations, and the general idea seems to be that there are just not enough opportunities. I would wonder, though, if we wasted less wit on making up the perfect Facebook status and instead put that brain-power into making clever conversation, if we'd all be a bit more charming.
Just imagine the wittiest duos that you've ever heard of...Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet come immediately to mind for me. It makes me cringe to think what some of their conversations might look like per today's conveniences:

Darcy: "Do you text as a general rule while dancing?"

Lizzy: "Yes." (pulls out her phone.) "I prefer to be unsociable and taciturn. Makes it all so much more agreeable, don't you think?"

Darcy: "ROFL."

Major cringing going on over here. That is so hideous. I know it's an extreme example but dear World, don't you agree? Our ability to make conversation seems to be languishing in the annals of texting language. (Not to mention our ability to spell properly which subject I will not even broach.) Just try it, I beg of you. Put yourself out to say one clever thing a day, and you may soon find your intelligence is not so impaired as that of your general acquaintance.
                                
Ever Yours,

Dear World,
        This is the first foray--and therefore a complete experiment--into this blog. It is written by the oldest three kids in my family: The Gentleman From Virgina, myself, and then The One Who Hasn't Chosen Her Name. I hope you enjoy our stay here, and do leave us a comment if you wish!