One Nation Under God
For generations, school children have learned and recited the Pledge of Allegiance in schools across the nation. The basic framework of our pledge was formed by Francis Bellamy in 1892 and was officially adopted as the national pledge in 1942. The wording underwent an update in 1954 when the words “Under God” were added and the form of the pledge we have today is this version.
The significance of the words “Under God” must never be overlooked. The addition of these words occurred under the influence of Rev. George Docherty who claimed, “To omit the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance is to omit the definitive factor in the American way of life.” Today, individuals battle over keeping or removing these words and other references to God in our government mottos, seals, etc. The truth of the matter is that under God is the only true location where genuine justice, liberty, and freedom occur.
The culture has become dominated by a motivation to fix problems such as racism with manmade theories and approaches. Each approach leads to new issues and ultimately does not fix the issue. Within our culture today a battle rages over movements and theories like Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality as cures for the problems within society. Such theories and attempts do not elevate the motto under God, but instead attempt to remove God from the equation and redefine everything. The reality is that movements like Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality cannot cure the dilemmas faced as a nation. The only place true healing can take place rests in living out individual and collective lives under God.
The Bible reveals that the gospel stands as the cure to the oppressions and dilemmas we face. In Acts 10, the apostle Peter received a vision from the Lord in which a garment descended with animals of all types. The message to Peter was take and eat. Peter’s desire to remain obedient to the law stated that he could not take and eat for the meat was unclean. The Lord responded to Peter that what the Lord creates is not unclean. Peter understood the message considering the tension between the Jews and Gentiles and the need to accept Gentile believers. This passage demonstrates how the genuine healing of the cultural tensions that exists occur only under God.
First, every individual has great worth as a creation of God. The ability to see others with value comes when we recognize that God has created everyone with worth and value. The Psalmist declared that each person has been wonderfully and fearfully made, Jeremiah the prophet recognized that he was created for a purpose, and Peter received the vision mentioned previously. Each occurrence reveals the truth that God as Creator creates with value and worth. The truth that individuals have great worth as a creation of God needs to exist if a nation really exists under God. This does not mean that individuals are without issues or sin, but it means that we do not condone sinfulness and the activities against the Lord, but we still love and interact with each other in recognition of God’s creation.
Second, personal blindness is overcome in the power of the Lord. The division in this world rests mainly on physical, ideological, and ethnic differences. The issue arises when personal blindness does not allow one to see others with value and worth. The divisions form areas of oppression and humanity attempts to solve these tensions through social justice movements and the use of ideologies like Critical Race Theory. These methods ultimately fail as they flow from a broken ideology of humanity. The ability to overcome the blindness of the flesh that leads to forms of oppression ultimately are defeated in the power of the Lord. The Lord alone can remove the blinders of humanity and allow individuals to see one another with respect while practicing truth and love together. Thus, the gospel not a theory or movement exists as the only corrective procedure to deal with humanity’s blindness.
Third, unity comes under God. Genuine unity does not come through governmental forms or methods of humanity, but under Christ alone. The apostle Paul declared that in Christ there was not Jew or Greek, slave or free. Later Paul declared that all things are held together in Christ. Thus, the unity and peace sought by many in our culture does not come through the attempts of humanity but occurs when people become surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and live under God. Thus, for genuine unity to occur, our nation must be one nation UNDER GOD. It is under God that hope, unity, and peace become a reality.
This week as we celebrate the Fourth of July and the birth of our nation, may we not forget that we must be one nation under God. Thus, this week will you:
1. Pray for spiritual awakening in America.
2. Pray for unity and peace because of being united in Christ.
3. Pray that we will repent and seek the Lord.
4. Pray that everyone will allow the Lord to work in his or her life.
