by Teri Ong
The Greeley Tribune published a “Faith” column by Jeff Cook on February 10, 2019, called “Tribalism is the true enemy.” In his column he asserted that “There are two virtues at the heart of America and both are central to the priorities of God.” Cook chose freedom and justice as the two cardinal virtues.
He explained his view that our American two-party system keeps the two virtues in balance like the wings of an airplane. He wrote that the Republican party extols freedom “in matters of taxation, education, religious beliefs and unrestrained markets.” They exemplify the “freedom” wing of the plane. On the other side of the plane, the Democrats “have elevated the needs of workers, the health of our planet and the conditions of the poor.” This is the justice wing, in his view.
Cook went on to say that the parties “flip” on abortion, as the Republicans appeal for “just treatment of fetuses” and Democrats “invoke the image of freedom for women to make choices over their own bodies.” He opines that both views are necessary for balancing the nation, or plane, in his imagery.
I question his understanding of freedom and justice. But that said, a plane, no matter how well constructed and balanced, will never get off the ground to go anywhere without two other essential elements– lift and thrust. When I was taking ground school in my late teens en route to my private pilot’s license, the teacher never talked about the wings of the plane, except to teach us that they should never be covered in ice. He did, however, talk a great deal about lift and thrust. In fact, the “ice” lecture was more about lift and thrust than it was about “balance.”
The “lift and thrust” of any nation are truth and righteousness. King David, the most beloved king of Israel, understood this when he said,
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart. Psalm 15:1-2
Integrity is the integration of knowing truth and living it out rightly. Based on this assessment, the American airship of State is already grounded. Let’s look at the “truth” of some of the currently popular slogans guiding the emotions of millions in our country.
How is it true or right that a mother can kill the innocent body of another human being, potentially moments before or moments after birth? She is not expressing a true freedom or true justice by an un-right act that is not only about her own body. She is neither free from her responsibility to protect a fellow human, nor is it just for her to have fiat power of life or death over another person.
How is it true or right that any person or peoples have a “right” to violate the rightful laws of our land to come into our country and take unlawfully the resources gathered from our citizens for our citizens? Granting one class of people the ability to take the resources of another class of people without their legal consent doesn’t demonstrate freedom or justice. Giving charitably person-to-person as generous people see and meet the needs of others freely demonstrates both.
How is it true or right that some people should be granted preferential treatment in some way [i.e. hiring, schooling, transacting business, media presence, legal accountability] through emotion-based granting of “oppressed” status by the popular media or by “victim” studies programs on college campuses? In our society, it is not only people at “the top” who are above the law; we have created a host of “victims” who are never held legally accountable for illegal and criminal actions. We encourage the arbitrarily designated “oppressed” to oppress the conveniently designated “privileged” at many levels. This is no different than rioters looting the businesses of their neighbors on a societal scale. Where are freedom and justice in that?
How is it true or right to confiscate the resources earned by one group of people and redistribute them to another group of people who could have earned them, but chose not to for a variety of reasons? It is true that some people need our “safety nets,” and it is right that we provide them, but many people are content to rest in the nets, who would have been better off in every way had they not been allowed to stay in them. Some should never have gotten in them in the first place. But even now, some, like Representative Ocasio-Cortez, advocate for a “guaranteed income” for people who “choose not to work.”
Some of you may think that I sound very cold-hearted. Where is my human compassion? But those of you who know me know that I am deeply and personally involved in helping refugees in our community and church. I have great love for these people who have truly amazing stories of overcoming oppression in their homelands. I bless God Who has brought our lives into close fellowship. I have been benefitted by their stories and their love. I am thankful every day that God has given me resources of time, energy, and money to help them as best I can.
It is true that God has given us a responsibility to care for each other, and it is right that we should do it to the best of our ability. Without understanding what is true and what is right, “freedom” becomes license to do whatever we want, and “justice” becomes taking whatever we want from others. John Adams warned about this when he said, “Avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution, as a whale goes through a net. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Our way forward as a nation does not depend on wings; it depends on lift and thrust. We must return to truth and righteousness.
Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
Indeed, the Lord will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce.
Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way. Psalm 85:11-13
As a nation, it is time to do as the writer of “America, the Beautiful” implored, “Confirm thy soul in self-control; thy liberty in law.”
