Theologians and historians identify several great awakenings that have occurred in our country prior to and after our founding. The unique time in history when the ideas of the Enlightenment merged with a sharp increase in religious piety of the people, and with a sense of humble reverence and a belief in God was the bases of our country’s founding. Athens met Jerusalem as the teaching of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards were woven into the fabric of our country’s founding with, he ideas of Locke, and Burke, and Jefferson and Franklin. The Charters of all thirteen original colonies have within them a statement acknowledging God’s Grace and Mercy, and our dependence on God. The Founders spoke frequently of God and Devine Providence. They created in our founding documents a Republic based on a respect for the principles found in “The New Covenant” and specifically grounded the idea of liberty based on “free will”.
The first “Awakening” in our country occurred around 1740. The theological, religious (there is a difference), and cultural predicate of the “first great American Revival”, ushered in our Great American Revolution. The second “Awakening” occurred a few years prior to the American Revolution and lasted for almost 100 years. The abolitionist, temperance and women’s suffrage movements arose from the 2nd great awakening. In addition to the Reformed Churches—Dutch and German, Congregationalists. Presbyterians and even the Quaker Church were impacted. “Free Black Churches” arose in the North and South. The movement was not grounded in Seminaries and Academia but was grassroots—a movement of everyday middle class working people… There was nothing “elitist” about it. The political leaders of the day were slow to embrace it as the 19th Century closed. Its’ impact on American culture and politics was only growing. Organizations like the Red Cross, and The YMCA had their origins in the “Awakenings” that ushered in the 20th Century.
But here is what often goes unsaid when talking about the Evangelical—Catholics call it “Charismatic” theology that has shaped American culture since our beginnings. An awakening can only occur if a people have “been asleep” Awakenings occur after a period of cultural slumber. Secular control of our organizations, institutions, and government requires a passivity of the people whose parents and grandparents embraced a far different philosophy that required a faith in God. Without such a faith we fill the “holes in our hearts” with false gods or we make ourselves our own gods. The moral principles that govern so many of our leaders lives today have no bases in “reason or revelation” but rather in feelings or judgements that can change from moment depending on transactional whims and circumstances.
When “captains of industry” support the CCP and at the same time are critical about legitimate concerns regarding the process of voting in our country, one wonders about their priorities and fidelity. A generation ago only defense contractors who knowingly sold munitions and technology were confronted regarding their allegiance to their own country. Today companies like Starbucks, Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, META, and large banks and pharmaceutical companies rely not only on cheap Chinese labor, but also see a market for the goods and services that they produce, and the money they make from those relationships. The people of our country who provide a smaller market and a more expensive workforce, are an afterthought. They support Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) while turning a blind’s eye to the human rights atrocities in the CCP. Their allegiance to our country takes a backseat to their support for regimes that have incarcerated millions and murdered millions more because of their religious faith—Uyghur- Muslims and Christians.
Hope is in the air. I believe the events of the past few years have “awakened” our nation. Our Southern border being abused. Our police being abused and marginalized not only by progressive politicians but by a lazy clueless press. WE are tired of overindulgent leaders who have their own private security teams guarding their families and themselves, telling small businessmen in our cities that we should “defund” our police—the only deterrent in their neighborhoods that stands between them and criminal thugs. We have seen how our national leaders have turned their backs on our military active-duty members by emphasizing social justice programs replacing critical training periods with Diversity—Inclusiveness—and Equity training. We saw how they turned their backs on our Marines and Sailors in Afghanistan, and while their eyes were off the ball, we saw for the first time in our lifetimes what a disorganized military retreat looked like—worse than the retreat from Saigon and more disorganized than the disorganized retreat from the Chosin Reservoir. We have seen how the reckless reallocation of resources—the fruits of our labor that we pay in taxes, have been siphoned off to their buddies in State governments to shore up underfunded raided pension plans, and used to subsidize a corrupt health care system where people are allowed to die without providers following advanced directives or families being at the bedside of a loved one.
Moral corruption and economic corruption go hand in hand.
There are big problems in our state government as well. 7% inflation and property values growing faster than everyday citizens and seniors can keep up. Cut the tax on groceries down to zero and devise a property tax system that will keep those living on the margins and many senior citizens in their homes. Start listening to the people who voted for you instead of the lobbyists who pay for your campaigns and boondoggle lunches to the Arid Club and the Governor’s Cup. A virtuous people should say—”ENOUGH”. Otherwise, we get what we deserve.
What I have too slowly come to believe is that a political “Great Awakening” today will require first a spiritual GREAT AWAKENING. I prayed personally and at Mass for our leaders, but many times have forgotten to pray for our people who elect those leaders. Our leaders for the most part— of all stripes, have proven to be unworthy of the virtuous people they have been charged to lead—in all branches of government. What the last couple of weeks have shown me is that everyday workers and families are rising. Look at the truck drivers—modern day sons of liberty. The people who are who make our country work—farmers and ranchers, tradesman, heads of families, unfortunately, a very few in the professional classes. These are people who have developed skills and talents and because of their work and study they know their own value. They are risk takers and entrepreneurs. Their confidence comes from knowing the value of their own “human capital” So many of the expert, middle manager political class have no skills. They spend lifetimes telling other people how to live their lives, when that is the only skill, they have ever developed for themselves. Think of Justin Trudeau, Brandon, AOC and the squad. And that is why the political ruling class is so afraid of those who are finally saying NO. They know that without us they wouldn’t exist. We can do just fine without them. There are many of us who can do what they do, but very few of them possess our individual and collective “human capital”. Like William Buckley once opined “I would rather be ruled by the first 435 people in the NYC phone book than by Congress” Me too and can I add in our Idaho Legislature.
But recapturing the soul of our country will require recapturing the soul of our people. Taking a knee before God and refusing to take a knee before any man requires a fearlessness. Defying corruption without relying on God will result in a Robespierre or Bolshevik like reorganization that plays into the Socialist- Progressive Bill Ayers play book. People who love liberty must never forget that they only gift from God that we possess is our “free will”. Everything else we “hold in trust”. These ideas are the bases of American political philosophy that can be found not only in our laws, but in the way we deal with each other. An indulgent society that does not hold its’ leaders and its’ citizens accountable is doomed to fail.
As Tea Party Bob has reminded us many times—”We get the government we deserve”.
