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Freedom without Chaos
The United States flag is at half-mast. Again. Always an unsettling sight, the lowered flag is a signal of national mourning, a telling sign of national turmoil.
This is a mind-scorching summer for Americans. If you’re like me, you wonder how to react to the trouble that surrounds us. Shall we pack a pistol, just in case? Hunker down in fear? Rage against others? Or just ignore the headlines?
Ironically, the summer of 2016 resembles 1968 for its trouble on all sides, including violence, demonstrations, and a contentious presidential race. And I’m not alone in seeing the similarities. This past week, syndicated columnist Ross Douthat contrasted the “sticky summer of 2016” with the “maelstrom of the late ‘60s and the ‘70s” in a column entitled, “Are we as a country unraveling?’
Are we unraveling? If we are, then it’s time to consider who we are, where we are headed and what we believe.
Related to the fractious ‘60s and ‘70s, Francis A. Schaeffer addressed similar questions in his 1976 book How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture. The book was later the basis for a series of 10 films narrated by him.
Schaeffer was one of the great thinkers of the 20th century. After a lifetime of learning theology, philosophy, sociology and the arts, he came to a simple conclusion: What we believe will guide how we act as individuals and as a nation.
Schaeffer believed that a society based on biblical laws would have “freedom without chaos.” Indeed, our Constitution is based on Judeo-Christian beliefs. I’ve always wondered what do people have against God’s laws? Don’t murder. Don’t steal. Honor your parents. Don’t mess around with your neighbor’s wife. How many people can actually even name the 10 commandments? (Found in Exodus 20.)
The Mayflower Compact
Laws based on biblical beliefs give us a framework for conducting our lives and provide a road map for governing. If our nation is coming apart at the seams, perhaps it’s time to return to the original foundation. As someone commented recently, if everyone followed the same laws, we wouldn’t need many law officers. Or court systems. Or jails and prisons.
The Bible begins with Old Testament stories about Adam, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Debra, Esther and others. It tells the raw truth of human frailties and victories (best read in a modern language version.) It’s noteworthy that God often told his people to be strong and have courage. He wants us to be leaders and not fall apart in the face of difficulty. He’s given us the keys to do that.
In the New Testament, those keys were given to some fishermen, a government hack, a prostitute and others. Through the power of God, they brought hope to the whole known world.
No one in the Bible offered more insight into an overcoming life than Jesus, who warned of wars and rumors of wars, but also said not to let our hearts be troubled.
In the face of today’s troubles, we may feel weak and helpless, but cheer up! While God’s laws never change, neither does his grace. If we will only seek him, as individuals and as a nation, he will give us the favor and power we need to make the world a better place for ourselves, our children and for generations to come.
Along with the Bible, there are numerous Christian authors who offer hope for the times we live in. Here are a few:
North Dakota State Capitol
- Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah
- Traveling Light by Max Lucado
- Awakening America: Through the Gates of Moral Decency by Kari Bitz
- For a look at what is right about America, see 240 Reasons to Celebrate America Right Now in the July issue of Time magazine. No. 86 is “A government Jefferson could love” which shows a photo of the North Dakota capitol and praises our state legislature where “every bill gets a vote.”
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Words of Jesus in John 16: 33
This month the Prairie Lighthouse is one year old! Thank you readers!