This republic of ours has been rightly called the noblest experiment of the human race. Indeed, it is an experiment and you and I are part of that experiment.
As we know, in any experiment there is a great deal of trial and error and it continues to be so. This experiment is not yet completed, and it remains to be seen whether this nation will not perish from the earth.
Democracy has been defined by Winston Churchill as the worst form of government — except for all others. In some ways, democracy is like the church. The church never fully arrives. It is always arriving. With God’s exact specifications for His city, we in the church never fully establish it. But the fact that we are seeking it is the church’s glory.
It’s the same way with democracy — it’s an ideal toward which we are forever striving. Now, this American democracy is a gigantic leap from being perfect. But our task is to continue seeking to perfect it.
One important aspect of American life today that needs our perfecting focus is creating unity in the midst of our diversity. That we are a diverse nation is obvious and needs little elaboration. Yet, what does need our attention is how we might become unified in the midst of our diversity.
James Moore, a Methodist minister and author, described what happened in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday night, June 22, 1994. On that night the Houston Rockets basketball team defeated the New York Knicks in the seventh and final game of the NBA championship. According to Dr. Moore, it was quite a night for the Houston Rockets, the city of Houston, the state of Texas and all their fans, winning the first world championship for the city of Houston in a major sport.
But Dr. Moore continued on to say that as thrilling as all that was, he saw something else that night that thrilled him even more. Namely, the way that event brought people together, connected people, bonded people and united people. The walls that so often divided people came down that night and everybody became one. Class didn’t matter. Color didn’t matter. Cultural background didn’t matter. Houston Rockets fans were united and became one.
The question is, why can’t it be like that in America all the time? When we stop and think about it, that’s what America at its best is all about. The hopeful ideal is “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” America at its best is united and connected.
So what can God use to bring such a diverse nation as ours together? To be sure, there are many things, but here are three things.
First, a common or shared adversity. There is no question that the events of 9/11 brought us together as a nation. Those horrendous attacks on New York and Washington (which included Pennsylvania) rallied us in our oneness. We, as a nation, were drawn together in assisting our fellow countrymen and in our struggle against terrorism.
Have you ever witnessed old war veterans get together after having been apart for many years? It’s an awesome sight. Usually they embrace one another, tease one another and often call one another nicknames. They reflect back together and share past war stories. They have a special bond or relationship because they went through some adversity together in years gone by.
Second, a common or shared commitment. Guizot, the French historian, once asked James Russell Lowell how long the American republic would endure? Lowell replied that it would last as long as the ideas of the men and women who founded it continued dominant. If our nation is to be one and have a future, we Americans must make a continuing fresh commitment to the American dream. It’s a dream of freedom, of justice, and opportunity for all. And together we must turn that dream into a reality for all.
Third, a common or shared love. In one particular church I served as pastor, we held an appreciation service for God and country on the Sunday nearest the Fourth of July. On the following Monday morning a man came to my office and wanted to know why we had that service. I said, “Basically we held it for two reasons. First, there is something in the Bible called Thanksgiving blessing. It’s located in the wisdom literature and reminds us to be thankful for our blessings. Second, we held that service because of our love for our country.”
So what draws us and keeps us together as a nation despite our diversity? I think it is the almighty who accomplishes his blessing of togetherness through a shared adversity, a shared commitment and a shared love.
Hal Brady
The Rev. Hal Brady
The Rev. Hal Brady is an ordained United Methodist minister and executive director of Hal Brady Ministries, based in Atlanta. This post is republished with the author's permission from the Jackson Progress-Argus.