Think Trekonomics or Potlatch Economy
I remain optimistic that America’s foundation remains solid. I also believe we are being tested by our Creator. Fairy dust will not be sprinkled on our heads and suddenly — poof — everything is made right. Many ask how long does the toil of war await the consummation of peace?
My call to action is twofold: First, stop complaining about your problems, and two, take action in your personal lives. I like the phrase “local action has a national impact.” There are many examples springing up all across America. This is what further strengthens the foundation as well as the structures of our city on the hill.
In 1630, John Winthrop delivered a sermon on board a ship hazarding an Atlantic Ocean crossing. The congregation comprised people seeking to discover a new world and a new life. They were sacrificing everything, leaving their former homeland for a variety of individual reasons, but principally due to political persecution for their Christian beliefs.
According to “The Puritans: A Sourcebook of Their Writings,” Winthrop “preached to the emigrants that the eyes of the world would be upon them, that they would be as a city set upon a hill for all to observe.” If these faithful principles were true from the very origins of America, then from the very beginning, America has played a role in setting the world right.
Yes, America does differ from the rest of the world. From the laying of the foundation to building out our “one nation under God,” America’s strength is in our people. The foundation is not stone, concrete, property or even wealth.
On that vessel were people of the least means and some of many, but all felt equal in the eyes of our Creator; all depended on each other during their journey; all knew that survival and longevity were based on the worthiness of each other’s talents and skills and blending them together not only to survive but to thrive.
America’s foundation reveals many things, but the most important is that “We the People” still represent those on that long journey seeking a better life. We the people are the ones in charge of our children, our homes, our communities, our health and yes, our destiny. We the people represent what remains good and decent in America, and we the people represent the bedrock of our foundation.