What's the Big Idea?

In a previous column, I wrote how General Petraeus said there are four tasks he thinks strategic leaders have to perform:
- First, “Get the ‘Big Ideas’ right.”
- Second, “Effectively communicate the Big Ideas.”
- Third, “Oversee the implementation of the Big Ideas.”
- Fourth, “Capture best practices and lessons…to help refine the Big Ideas.”

I think there is an excellent example of getting the “Big Idea” right in our domestic political world right now, i.e., “Make America Great Again!”  It is an awesome slogan.  Sadly, there is one big problem with it, and that is that it’s true – we do need to make America great again. 

Before attempting to make America great again, it would be wise to understand what made America great in the first place.  Perhaps it’s the fact that we had a Godly start -- the key is contained in the founding document that set the course of our country.  Our Declaration declares, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”  No Creator, no America. 

The Founding Fathers wisely concluded that divinely inspired document, which declared our independence from an unjust king, by declaring our complete dependence on the King of Glory.  It closes with, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”  No Divinity, no America. 

How far we’ve fallen that so many fail to recognize, or acknowledge this “self-evident” truth.  

 
The Father of our Country prayed a prayer for our Nation’s future that laid out the required conditions for perpetual greatness.  “Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection…  Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.  Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”  Although George didn’t get the memo on political correctness, he did recognize the source of greatness.

Our Founders were sober-minded that the liberty we might enjoy required that we could be self-governed.  President John Adams made this clear in a 1798 letter to the officers of the Massachusetts Militia:  “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.  Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.  Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” 

What made America great was a source of intrigue for the French historian and social philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville.  In May, 1831 he published a two-part work titled Democracy in America which has been described as, “the most comprehensive and penetrating analysis of the relationship between character and society in America that has ever been written.”  Among de Tocqueville’s notable findings: 

“Upon my arrival in the United States the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more I perceived the great political consequences resulting from this new state of things, to which I was unaccustomed.  In France, I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions.  But in America I found they were intimately united and that they reigned in common over the same country.” 

Our founding is unique in the respect that our founders believed that our rights came from the Author of Liberty.  As scripture records, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 

While I agree with the “Big Idea” to Make America Great Again, I’m not sure everyone agrees on the solution.  King David said it this way:  “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.  Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

What's the Score

As I was driving back home from Augusta, Georgia, there was some discussion on the radio about the plight of Christians in the US now. Obviously, Christians have been marginalized in the public square in a big way. Whether it’s a failure of believers and the Church to make a more persuasive and winsome argument for the cause of Christ and supremacy of the Christian worldview, or it’s the dumbing-down of the American public to such a degree that they can’t recognize it, I don’t know.

What I do know is that Justice Robert Bork aptly titled his nearly ten-year old book about our Nation (and western culture’s) downward trajectory, “Slouching Toward Gomorrah.” If it were written today, it would have to be titled, “Running Toward Gomorrah.” The left could at least claim credit for improving our posture and aerobic activity. Maybe credit for our increased pace rightly belongs to Michelle’s “Let’s Move” campaign. The last thing we’d want is to be late for our own funeral.

I just don’t understand why atheists are so mad at Christians. I can understand why Muslims don’t like Christians; after all, Christians don’t support multiple wives, oppose stoning adulterers and homosexuals, and don’t favor the killing of those that leave the faith. What I don’t understand is why atheists care if “simpleminded” Christians worship or promote a mythical non-existent entity?

At least God has a longer pedigree than the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. Surely, they should be more upset about those two relative newcomers. They don’t even have a best-selling book written about them. Just what has that non-existent Entity ever done to atheists? Voltaire must have surely had the atheist in mind when he said, "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” The angry atheist requires a God to rail against like Obama needs a straw man to advance his specious arguments.

Just this week, there was a news report about Juan Mendez, an Arizona atheist Democratic state Representative being barred from offering a prayer at the beginning of their legislative sessions. Yep, the atheist wanted to offer a prayer but was denied because, get this, “he was informed in a memo issued by Republican House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro to all state representatives that no one will be allowed to lead the traditional prayer unless they intend on calling on a deity.” Holy cow that’s rich.

According to Montenegro's memorandum, "Prayer, as commonly understood and in the long-honored tradition of the Arizona House of Representatives, is a solemn request for guidance and help from God.”

Talk about unfair. Why shouldn’t the atheist be allowed (or aloud) to talk to someone who doesn’t exist. After all, it’s no different from Obama, as he leads from behind, leaning over his shoulder to talk to all his followers.

So just what’s motivating these “whacky and misguided” Christians wanting to share the Good News that Jesus Christ died for sinners. Perhaps it’s because they want people to avoid an eternity in Hell, or, conversely, enjoy an eternity in Heaven. Imagine, paradise purchased by a Savior on a cross. Paradise without a suicide vest - could it really be that easy?

To quote John Lennon, “Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us Above us only sky… It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too.”  Yep, imagine that.

The reason I think the nonexistent God bothers the atheist so much – He stands as an invisible reminder to their innate knowledge that he’ll judge them one day. Christ followers are the visible image of the invisible God. A story recounted in today’s Our Daily Bread devotional gives some additional insight into how this annoying reminder works:

“At his son’s wedding reception, my friend Bob offered advice and encouragement to the newlyweds. In his speech, he told of a football coach in a nearby town who, when his team lost a game, kept the losing score on the scoreboard all week to remind the team of their failure. While that may be a good football strategy, Bob wisely advised, it’s a terrible strategy in marriage. When your spouse upsets you or fails you in some way, don’t keep drawing attention to the failure. Turn off the scoreboard.”

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

What’s the final score -- sinner to winner – thanks be to God!