July 4th, 2015

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” As we once again celebrate our Country’s birthday, it seems fitting to assess our progress in our long quest for liberty and justice for all. This assessment will vary widely depending on whom one asks.  Most will agree there has been change.  Some see the change as progress, while for others it represents degradation and moral decay. Some embrace new-found freedoms and celebrate progress, while others grow increasingly despondent and foresee doom. Our inclination is to blame someone. Some will blame the government. Others blame special interest groups or political parties, and still others will blame the affluent or the poor. The Bible suggests that our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Long ago in his iconic story “The Christmas Carol” Charles Dickens cautioned us against Ignorance and Want, and he suggested that of these two, Ignorance represents the more lethal threat, and he warns that, if unrecognized and unaddressed, ignorance may indeed foretell our doom. Clearly, progress is in the eye of the beholder, and one man’s bend toward justice is another man’s steady decline into moral decay. So what does the future hold? To once again quote Mr. Dickens, the question becomes, “Are these the shadows of things that must be, or the shadows of things that MIGHT be?” The answer depends of course, on our willingness to join in a civil and all inclusive effort to recognize and address the ignorance and want which threaten our unity and result ultimately in the troublesome issues which divide us. If we can face our challenges and work together in a spirit of goodwill and common purpose, then the dream of our Founding Fathers might well be realized, the long arc of the moral universe further extended, and the whole world marvel at the result: a government of, by and for the people, devoted to freedom, committed to mercy, and unified by our mutual pursuit of truth, justice and liberty for all.  SC