So, is it America the blessed, America, one nation under God", or is that somebody's haphazard construction of what once supposedly was? That construct designed, in order to alter what was to come? And, every winter, about this time of year, we collectively are to take up the debate (dispute actually) again?
It appears to be the "patriots" versus "the dictatorship of the offended"; formatting the two sides. A type of public policy round table sets the annual fight as; "firmly, and once for all", we "must" define the role of the state, vis-a-vis the role "religion" amid it? A windy and intricate thing it is, and it all appears to rotate about whether indeed, the founders were Christian? What (indeed!) was their intent?
In this dispute, the founders end up being sock-puppets, which most mysteriously mouth (quite well) the words of the competing puppeteers. Each side can, and does "prove" that either A. They were, or B. They were not. It's downright uncanny how very much the 18th cen. founders end up wholly agreeing with both(!) 21st cen. "modern" sides! . . . Simultaneously?
The offended "fear" an American theocracy? That is; they "fear" a far too cozy alignment of conservative faith, with conservative political policy. The twin "establishments", political-controlling and believing-activist are seen as "dangerous", when, or if ever linked.
So then, if the fear is of a too-large, and too-intrusive (conservative) combine, would we be safe to presume that the offended also (logically) favor small govt.? Don't be silly! That particular racket remains the stronghold of the patriots! Don't you recall their many "unfeeling" (and serial) cries for budget "cuts!"? Oddly, this is the very group (the pats); are they favoring public finance being "best be spent" setting up statues of dead Jews? But didn't we just say that they were the ones "against waste"? Thus, they infer (at minimum), that in the doing, in the statue-setting (manger-building), "we ensure a blessing" from the Almighty? Please! Now, He's the One all-agog at manger scenes? So, upon the doings of the political spending of the secular establishment we're buying Him off? Or what?
Indeed, it's an odd discussion we have yearly, in that much, or most of it, goes unsaid? Producing an assumed, or stealth estimate of America, as being (a bit?) "like" Israel of old, a(nother) "holy land"? Says who? What a boatload of swindle there! But worse, if we really were "like" Israel, recall that He booted those rascals out! The land-blessed, can and often historically does, become the cursed-land. "The function in that reversal there, has nothing to do with neither the presence, nor absence; of publicly financed manger scenes", we'd do well, to note occasionally.
A ship approaches a low lying island. They hear, "Come aboard, a tidal wave is coming, and you cannot survive it here.". They respond; "We're building us, our own boats, but thanks anyhow!". Across the water, the reply comes; "You have no trees". . . Such is our dispute.
Generations of islanders later, the dispute goes always two ways. Group A, (the pats) "strongly believes" that, "We are blessed as an island, to have heard the Captain's voice. We simply must be special!". Simultaneously, group B (the offended) shout back; "Balderdash! There never came any "wave", neither in our forebears day, nor in ours. The "Captain". . . if he ever actually existed, was either a con-man, or simply deluded".
The third view goes by-in-large unheard: "The wave is yet to come, and the Captain was right about both his assessment of our situation, and the wave. Moreover, the pats are wrong in assuming that we are "special", and the offended are wrong about who precisely is, or was; crazy. The forebears' refusal was based upon building with non-existent trees!". Clearly a gang of nuts.
In our day, I assume that the "fear of a theocracy" is about as nuts as one could be. . . but hey, that's me. What goes more or less unsaid on this side, is their expectation that faith, never ever becomes more than a subjective case (deeply personal!) of good feelings, and mellowness. In the context of the island, it would be like asserting that the public loudspeakers' blaring of the voice heard, was never ever a "public" thing? Each of our ancestors "must have" only felt that "voice" within them. . . and so, they "heard"?
In our annual reality, the very public appearance, and the quite public offer of aid from the unsurvivable wreckage of that true tidal wave coming, (the pure and undiluted; "public" event itself!) "contrasts" with the simply real. Some; no, Many (!) said "Yes" to His offer, in that hour. In our reality, not all of the islanders refused the assistance, nor do they today! The Voice sounds-yet, the warning, and the offer of help is yet good!
"Private and public" are turned by the True Captain inside out, and upside down. He hides our shame-public, and there are no "secrets" in His Presence.
It is group C which both privately feels, and enjoys her Maker, and publicly says so! Further, the gal firmly asserts that both groups fall far short of ever really enjoying things, or of speaking honestly. Group A appears to be blind, and group B masks her cruelty under a veneer of sentiment and mush. All satrapies, dukedoms, fiefdoms, tribal holdings, all the powers (ever!) that-be, including America the powerful. . . kneel. All knees bend to the Captain. Our "choice" never was whether or not to bend, but rather to choose if you'd best enjoy bending voluntarily, or having the knees shattered? The tidal wave; . . . is real! All, render up, to Him the Sovereign Majesty. That is, you don't "make Jesus lord". Instead, with Aid, you first begin to be aware that He Was, Is, and Shall Ever Be, God, in the flesh! He is not he One who "gains" anything by virtue of you finally admitting the real. . . to be real. Our delusional building of invisible boats, we ourselves come to (with aid) reject. It thus, "helps" us!
Our group A thinks the land is "permanently blessed". . . in that the Captain warned it, that it was well-nigh accursed? Recall the wave? Meanwhile, that group B yonder, wishes the entire event away, much preferring to name Our grand Sailor, a spook, or phantom? Hey, what a brainwave, that trick ought keep them waves at "bay"! Eh?
Thank then with me, God, for group C! They didn't all go away generations ago, as we'd feared. Those marvelous believers, even amid grief and loss have come to treasure Him above "the right answers", and for them, it's people (you I mean) above theory. Just the opposite of both of the other two! In chaos and darkness, their glad orderly lives are a light for us all. Prior to the calamity wave, they've thrown down their swords, and . . surrendered. . . unconditionally? "Traitors to mankind!" the other groups accuse. . . ah, but such warm, funny, and humble "treason" it be, they live. Never complaining? Well, maybe not, but even in hunger, pain, loss, and shame they never lose hope, trusting boldly in the real "Invisible Man"! They say; "Don't you see? By "seeing" Him, first and best, we've come to see-anew all else. But now, we can see it clearly for the first time! The fog is lifting, the new day is breaking", they insist.
It's about this time every year, great good, and glad tidings we tell. The real boat-lift rescue operation, the shielding of the many in that dreadful day; is a rip-roaring success! He is pulling it off. And so, to Him be the honor, the thanks, the heartfelt praise. He found, finds, and keeps searching. He built the boat, helps us aboard, and navigates the way to safety. He possesses a marvelous sense of direction, they say. . . He secures the way home!
With His body, by His blood, His strength and soul poured out, a passage, a door is opened. It remains unclosed, and indeed uncloseable. Well, unclosed, until He-Himself closes!
Note to reader: Clearly, these "repairs" are spinning out of control. This C.P.E. bears little resemblance at all to it's "original version". So, now we have two, with the same title? Nothing good can come of that, I'd guess.
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