Birthday bash in the blink of an eye

Happy Birthday America! How goes your noble experiment in liberty over these many 238 years? July 4, 1776 seems like a long time ago. But in the larger scheme, it is merely a blink; and what a difference that blink has made.

Besides being fun, a birthday party is also a time of remembering, reflection and anticipation. In this Fourth of July season how might we assess the quality and character of our United States and the difference we have brought to the rest of the world? How might we judge the depth of our fidelity to our roots and measure our ability to weave diversity into a common and growing strength? How hopefully do we anticipate a positive continuity of a clearly American Character into the times to come?

As a brief beginning, consider for a moment the assessment of "difference." In the American colonial times of the late 1700s, the notion of individual persons having an intrinsic and unassailable worth and dignity because of the Creator's free gift, and not because of the whims of government, was clearly "different." It was not only different; it was a "revolution in the evolution of thought." It turned into a "shot heard round the world" that has continued to resonate in the hearts and minds of all peoples because they know somewhere "deep down" that they "are and of a right ought to be free."

Consider for a moment the meanings and strength of our connection to our roots. Freedom is never born in a vacuum; it arises out of a cultural context and most often from hardship. When people realize that a current social contract or paradigm builds structures or rules that seek to suppress the spark of personal creativity and intrinsic worth, growing energies for change will begin to emerge. This was the case in the American Colonies in the late 1700s. The historical record of those times lists many "grievances" toward the oppressions of King George III along with frequent failed attempts toward reconciliation. Our Declaration of Independence emerged as the instinctive and best response to the King's consistent denial of that inner spark.

But how did our "ancestors in liberty" manage to actually turn the wonderful words and ideals of their Declaration into the real social structures of a free society? The obstacles and hardships of the long Revolutionary War would seem from any distance to be completely overwhelming. But we notice that they also declared a "firm reliance on Divine Providence" as well as a "mutual pledge of our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." Faith and community are clearly at the core of our roots as indispensable strengths.

The records of human experience show how often faith emerges from hardship and gives rise to a vision of an ideal. Hope is a grounding of that ideal and provides the courage to work toward it no matter the cost. In wanting the best for each other in our "mutual pledge," love becomes the energy to continually move ahead with one more step. Throughout our history we see many examples of this interplay and especially in the sacrifices of so many who have given their "last full measure of devotion" in the cause of freedom.

But we have also fallen short. To obtain agreement, the original signers of our Declaration made compromises to the ideal and allowed the continued exclusion of some members of American society. We have also sometimes acted internationally in ways that have fallen short. But through time and struggle, the foundations of faith and the emergence of inspirational leaders, we continually refine our society to more nearly reflect our ideals.

It is unlikely that this job of refinement will ever be fully complete. As our society grows more diverse, the challenge to incorporate diversity into unity will continue to emerge in many different ways. It will only be by further firm reliance on Divine Providence and the interplay of virtues that we will succeed in maintaining the links between the ideal and the real.

The attractions of power and the fear of losing power are motivators that tempt us away from "link maintenance"; they tempt us toward the disparaging of others now as much as they ever did in the 1700s. The only effective antidote to this temptation is a spiritual bridge between persons built around a common vision of the proper relationship between creation and the Creator. This "re-linking" and "bridge building" is historically, in its best sense, the role of "religion."

So one might wonder what role "religion" played in the development of the Declaration and especially since there are so many religions with theoretically divergent views. It seems it was very simply the "linking of thinking," the linking of how we think about mankind with the core proposition or belief that human persons are endowed by their creator with intrinsic worth and dignity and "certain inalienable rights ..." Here a theologian might comment that since man is made in the image and likeness of God, he or she is meant to have a share in God's creativity and freedom. A lawyer might comment that laws are meant to apply that core proposition to particular circumstances. And a politician might offer a set of ideas for policy that would support new or expanded expressions of that core proposition.

As we anticipate times to come, the quality and continuity of our American character will vary according to the strength and depth of our common vision. The endeavors of religion, law, and politics will take different roads in the search for truth, love, fairness and efficiency. In this sense every discipline, every opinion, and every culture sees a part or a "bit" of the truth. But it is by the coalescing of those "bits" and a willingness to "give a little bit" that the truth becomes increasingly more whole and visible.

The thinking of our Declaration of Independence was amazing for those times and remains amazing in our own times. It presents an ideal and proposes a social contract that supports human worth and dignity better than any other. It presents a framework where diversity is strength when we recognize the spiritual bridge between us.

There is an old song that sings about how we are surrounded with treasures and blessings we can suddenly see more clearly if we turn in another direction. Or we could be standing knee deep in a river of pure water and still think we are dying of thirst.

During these holidays of fun gatherings, inspiring parades and dazzling fireworks, take some time to reflect on what a blessing it is to live in such a great country that was " ... conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." And do what you can to nurture an inner orientation to our original ideals so that our " ... nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure."

William Green is a Coeur d'Alene resident. The Press greatly appreciates Bill's inspiring, informative columns.