“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:” (Matthew 12:25)
The word’s above, spoken by Jesus, came to mind when reading the opening line to the latest article at the National Journal: Red, Divided and Blue Fly This Independence Day
It seems entirely revealing, if dispiriting, that the days before the July Fourth holiday showed Red America and Blue America pulling apart at an accelerating rate.
It also brought to mind Abraham Lincoln’s famous House Divided Speech given in Springfield, Illinois on June 16, 1858,
On June 16, 1858, more than 1,000 Republican delegates met in the Springfield, Illinois, statehouse for the Republican State Convention. At 5:00 p.m. they chose Abraham Lincoln as their candidate for the U.S. Senate, running against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. At 8:00 p.m. Lincoln delivered this address to his Republican colleagues in the Hall of Representatives. The title reflects part of the speech’s introduction, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” a concept familiar to Lincoln’s audience as a statement by Jesus recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke).
“Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention.
If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.
In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other”
Unlike Lincoln’s statement concerning slavery and the United States, “It will become all one thing or all the other”, I don’t see that happening concerning the division we see today in America, for it’s not just one issue which divides this Nation.
Just a thought…
There is no red America or blue America. There is only dark America.
Amen Henry…and daily it grows darker.😦
I am just now watching a fascinating documentary on prohibition. It is just amazing how the prohibition saga parallels much of what is going on now in our country. If anything, that is a period in our history when conservative Christians were engaged in intensive political activism in a similar way in which they are engaged in anti-abortion and anti-gay rights issues today. One of the reasons historically why prohibition failed miserably was that the same Christian constituency that wanted prohibition enforced relentlessly also was simultaneously demanding that government “get out of peoples lives”. Thus they were terrified of providing the government the resources to even begin to enforce their pro-morality agenda. I really marvel at how we are witnessing the very same conundrum today as to the evangelical agenda. The whole thing is just so dysfunctional. It really doesn’t seem to matter to these people that they refuse to give government the police power to actually enforce the laws that they are passing. If anything, that is the silver lining in that it will eventually lead this movement to its demise. The terribly tragic part is the end result which is an exponential increase in corruption which results from such dysfunctionality in government. All of this is working together to destroy the work of God rather than build it up and that is, of course, the most tragic thing of all.
George if you watched the same one i did at PBS a few months ago, titled Prohibition and directed by Ken Burns, a big amen….it WAS fascinating to see the parallels. Comparing then to today, it is like watching history repeat itself. Amazingly, even as far as the immigration issues both then and today. Did you get that far into the series?
In an interview about his documentary Burns was asked “Did you discover any striking parallels between the social and political climate of the Prohibition era and that of today?”
and “So what would you say was Prohibition’s most significant and/or lasting cultural impact on America?”
Yes indeed, same series. It is now running on Netflix. I have seen most of Parts 1 and 2. I plan to watch Part 3 soon.