PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

November 5, 2023

WE THE PEOPLE

Professor Peter C Mancall in his final lecture on the “Origins and Ideologies of the American Revolution” (The Great Courses, The Teaching Company, 2006) talks about the meaning of the American revolution.  What made the revolution unique was that it asserted that the people were sovereign. As such they had certain God given rights such a life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Declaration of Independence).  Government was a servant of the people and not the other way around.  It was the people, not government, who created the Constitution and who approved the Constitution in state conventions.

We find this fundamental understanding of the people being sovereign, not government, in the Preamble to the Constitution.  “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

In Genesis 1:26 God says, “Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”  In second chapter of Genesis Adam exercises his dominion by naming all the cattle, the birds of the air, and every animal of the field.  From the very beginning it was humankind, the people, who were sovereign.

With rights come responsibilities.  We have responsibilities to be good stewards of God’s creation.  In addition, we the people have a responsibility to make sure all people are able to exercise their God given rights and to create institutions that guarantee the injunctions of the preamble to the Constitution.

Wednesday night, October 25, at the Reese Theatre in Plymouth, Indiana, the people came together to gather information about whom they might choose in the upcoming municipal election.  The event, sponsored by the Plymouth Rotary Club, was “Meet the Candidates Night and Mayoral Debate.”  In addition to Greg Compton and Robert Listenberger, candidates to be mayor of Plymouth, there were sixteen others running for office.  The first half of the evening those running for office were given three minutes to state their case of why they should be elected to office.  The second half of the evening featured a debate between Compton and Listenberger.  The event was broadcast by Max 95 and Channel 57 had someone taping the evening.

In the Gospel of Mark Jesus tells James and John when they request to sit at His right and left when He comes into His kingdom, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all (Mark 10:42b-44).”  When we the people vote in municipal elections in Angola, Auburn, Culver, Kendallville, Plymouth, and other cities, towns, and villages across Indiana, we will be selecting those who will be servants not our masters.

(Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)