A More Perfect Union
PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND
July 11, 2021
A MORE PERFECT UNION
Every day Christians across American pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In His parables Jesus gives us snapshots of what the kingdom of God might be like. While it is true this kingdom will come in its fullness when Jesus returns, in the meantime for those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, it possible to catch glimpses of this kingdom breaking into the present. Over almost eighty years I have been a part of four or five occasions when I could almost reach out and touch and feel the Kingdom of God.
According to its preamble the purpose of the United States Constitution is to “form a more perfect Union.” We get a glimpse into the nature of such a Union in the Declaration of Independence. According to this founding document such a Union should be one where the government secures for the people certain unalienable Rights which have been endowed by the Creator. These Rights include Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. These Rights also might, in part, describe the Kingdom of God. Everyone would agree that we have not achieved this perfect Union. However, we have a choice. We can focus on where we still fall short or we can focus on where we are doing well.
In the days preceding the 2021 Fourth of July Weekend and during the weekend itself I was struck by a number of examples of where I could see glimpses of people were exercising their rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Diane and I are in the process of having some work done in our front yard. So far we have four bidders: one was Hispanic and another Amish. Each of the bidders brought something different to the task. Together they helped us clarify what we want done.
One of the things I remember from one of my trips to Israel was our tour director asking our group as we were sitting on a bus in Jericho if it would be alright for some local merchants to get on board to see sell their wares. He said, “All they want is a chance.” A more perfect Union is one where everyone is given a chance. The four bidders on our project each have a chance to make their case.
July 1 Diane and I along with our son and granddaughter attended the South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s patriotic pops concert at Four Winds Field. The director, Alstair Willis, has both a British passport and an American passport. The featured singer for the evening was from Romania. He had fled his native county which was a closed society to come to American to pursue his dreams of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Two of his songs from Italian operas were a reminder of others who had come to this country seeking the same freedoms. One of the numbers the orchestra played was a suite of Duke Ellington’s great hits. Ellington was a member of a minority who made it big.
July 3rd found us attending the REES Roadshow music event. The middle act for the evening was Stephen Branson who played the Native American flute. In one of his numbers, “Sound of Silence,” he blended Native American culture with American pop culture. In another number, “Amazing Grace,” he brought together Native American spirituality and the Christian religion. Stephen’s union of diverse cultures was truly inspiring.
Every year I watch on PBS the Fourth of July concert and fireworks from the mall in Washington, D.C. However, this year’s event was especially memorable since my granddaughter, two of her second cousins and their mother were in attendance with a cross section of American society and culture. I never did see them.
As I write this on July 5th I feel encouraged about our nation’s future. All around for those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear there are signs that our nation is moving just a little closer to a more perfect union