The End of an Age

The Change has begun to happen so fast, it's hard for a part-time blogger to keep up with. Everyday brings news of changes, and not just superficial changes in policy. These are deep-rooted changes in governing philosophy, designed with permanence in mind. Huge spending bills, government take over of banks, financial institution compensation restrictions, increased worldwide funding for abortion through the UN, embryonic stem cell research, the world tour of apologies by our President, staggering fiscal debts, government and union take over of car makers, cap and trade energy policy, universal health care, tougher fuel economy standards, expanding homosexual marriage, rampant illegal immigration, cracking down on CIA's "illegal" treatment of captured terrorists... forgive me if I have missed something.

It has been 120 days of this Presidency.
1340 days remain in President Obama's first term.
We have 610 days until a more conservative Congress - potentially - could be seated, if the people so choose.

I recently finished re-reading a series on the Fall of Troy, and it led to some reflection on my part. The sack of that city was first described in The Iliad, which has been long debated as being fact or fiction. Either way, we have many other examples of the end of great civilizations in the short history of man upon the Earth. Many a city or state has fallen quickly to the sword through war; but for many of the greatest civilizations, a slow decline marks the end of their culture's Golden Age. Eventually some outside force comes along, and a slight nudge is all that is needed to break the gilded shell of a once-great nation. The shell cracks and the core, being rotten, collapses into dust. The sack of Troy ended the Age of Heroes, and a new age began, for better or for worse.

America has stood for some 233 years as of this writing. Historically, this is a short period of time. But the last 60 years have seen more changes than in the 1000 years before, so given context America has stood through several Ages of this world. We emerged 64 years ago, from the last, terrible World War, as indisputably the most powerful nation on Earth.

But what is the nature of our Power? From what, or where, does it come? Strength of arms? Courage of conviction? A sense of moral superiority? Great wealth? Years of peace and prosperity? Almighty God? Some mix of these factors? These are the questions I devoutly wish every American would seriously consider. Just what is America?

To say "We are America! We have always been great, and we always will be!" is sadly lacking. At some point just 233 years ago, there was no America. It is the height of foolishness to think that we will always be because we are, and yet this is how we now live as a nation. And at some point amidst all this Change, we will no longer be what we once were. What then is our legacy to our children?

The glory of America was once this: that no man is limited by who his father was. The hope we offered the world was a chance to succeed, that hard work could lead to a better life. A better life was never guaranteed, and many died without seeing it, but they died working so that their children could have the chance. And their children saw that same calling as their own, and worked hard themselves.

But we have forgotten our fathers. Freed from the limitations of our family name, we have tragically forgotten our history altogether. Our memories are conveniently limited, for we often remember our rights and often forget our responsibilities. As Americans, we are not free to redefine our country in each new generation, and it is that very fact that grants us liberty. We must remember who we were called to be. Citizens by birth, we must become Americans by choice, and remember what that means. In the issues I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the common thread is the expansion of government into every aspect of life: to nurture us, to educate us, to clothe us, to keep us healthy, to keep us safe.

Is government in America now no more than a surrogate parent, to coddle us in every aspect of our lives?

Perhaps the dream has ended. Perhaps our Age also has scattered in the morning mist, like so many before it. But I am not giving up.

We must teach our children what our nation should be. If you home school, that makes it easier, as you have control over the lessons. In the government (public) schools, the 'education' your child is receiving probably does not conform to your values, if you are reading this. It's an uphill battle there but not impossible. Christian schools can go either way, but even then we cannot allow this responsibility to fall to another. We have to teach our children. We have to teach our friends. We have to ask our families, our communities, the tough questions. We have to talk until our voices are gone, and then speak even louder. It will not be comfortable or convenient. It will not be fun, and at times it will require more than we believe we have in us. But if our legacy to our children is to be more than debt and greed, if we would see this Age continue, if we would see America be the nation God called it to be - it must be done.