A few days ago we celebrated 240 years of American Independence. July 4, 1776 marked the United States’, then 13 colonies, Declaration of Independence from Britain. Just two weeks ago Franklin Graham came to Juneau on his Decision America Tour with a purpose of calling the churches to gather together for a one-hour prayer rally. He is on tour of all 50 states, visiting each capital city with prayer rallies in each capital. The call is to pray for America and all the issues that concern many Americans, including all the recent violence as well as many other issues and concerns.
Throughout my whole life I have heard presidential speeches end with the phrase, and often the song, “God bless America.” What does it mean for God to bless America? Does blessing mean we do well in education, the economy, peace with other nations, spiritually, making headway to alleviate poverty and abuse, etc.? I believe so. I remember reading in the book of Exodus, when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He taught the Israelites how to be a nation under God.
Since a child, I have pledged my “allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This idea of being under God is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereign hand over America. I believe it is an acknowledgement of His sovereign hand, and also recognition that we need both God as well as His blessing of our nation.
In teaching the Israelites how to be a nation, God instructed them in Deuteronomy 8: 10-14, as they settled in their land and began to enjoy a time of peace, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
I believe the principle is the same; that it is crucial we do not forget God and the blessings He has bestowed on this nation. Yet, many fear we have and are intentionally forgetting God and are moving God out of the public arena of governing our nation. Seeing what many of our Founding Fathers wrote, they did not believe in removing God from how our nation is governed. In fact, there is much evidence from their writings that they believed God to be a crucial foundation of our nation and the foundation of how we are governed. Many of them were strong Christians.
Many today cry “separation of church and state” as though it were part of the Bill of Rights or the Constitution, but those words are not found in any part of the Constitution or Bill of Rights. The First Amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” The Freedom of Religion clause has none of the words, “separation,” “church” or “state” mentioned at all. In fact, the amendment states, regarding religion, that “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Just as government shouldn’t hinder free speech or the press or the right of people to assemble, neither should it hinder people to practice their religion freely and openly. The Founding Fathers desired people to have freedom of religion that is not dominated by the government, as they had under the state church in Britain (thus, the establishment clause). But they did recognize, in many of their writings, their utter dependence on God and morality as taught in the Bible. I have pondered that from time to time, wondering if God can bless America when we reject him as a nation in so many areas.
What were we praying about at the July 1st prayer rally? I, for one, was praying that as a nation, we turn our hearts back to God so we can once again know the blessings of God on our nation. There is too much suffering, too many people being mistreated, too much violence, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, immorality and broken people. I believe we need God in our lives and in our nation and in our churches. Each of us sees that need in different ways, and that’s okay. I was overjoyed to see churches across Juneau come together. It was a joy to work with other pastors and their churches and see people gathering together to pray.
• Dan Wiese is the pastor for Church of the Nazarene.
