The Sentence That Birthed the Nation

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Walter Isaacson, called it “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written.”  (I’d add, “…outside the Bible” but Jefferson’s words could be heard as a political expression of a biblical truth.) 

Isaacson points out that the words were (and continue to be) “aspirational.” They lift before us a vision that frames the ongoing story of what it means “to form a more perfect union.” 

In the Methodist tradition, persons being ordained in the ministry are asked, “Are you going on to perfection? Are you earnestly striving after it?” That’s the way Paul described himself as a follower of Christ: 

“I do not consider myself to have ‘arrived’, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honour of being called by God in Christ.” 
(Philippians 3:13-14)

That’s our American story, too. Not yet perfect, but always grasping for a goal that has grasped our minds and hearts from the beginning. Our greatest “exceptionalism” is not something we have achieved, but the vision to which we aspire. 

The Most Difficult Word

It should be obvious that the most difficult word is “all.”  Who is included in “all”? 

If you only read one book in this 250th year (although I hope you read more than one!), I recommend The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding by Joseph Ellis.

Ellis walks us through the ways in which the founders wrestled with the inherent contradiction between the ideal they affirmed and the reality they confronted. 

If “all men are created equal,” what about the estimated 500,000 enslaved people (20% of the population) and equal number of Native Americans in the Thirteen Colonies? Not to mention Abigail Adams’ admonition to John to “remember the ladies.” 

Who is included in “all”? In our best moments, we’ve expanded the answer to include former slaves, women, and the rich diversity of “the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” In our sadest moments, we’ve attempted to drift back toward the days when “all” only included land-owning white men. 

The vision still grasps us and calls us on! It’s still the greatest sentence upon which anyone dared to building a nation. 

How Will We Celebrate?

So, beyond the fireworks and the hotdogs, a few recommendations for the celebration. 

1. Turn off the cable network news and watch Ken Burns’ series,  “The American Revolution.” 

2. Follow that by watching the George Washington series on Netflix. 

3. Find a quiet corner and read Jon Meacham: “The Soul of America:The Battle for Our Better Angels” or watch the interview about his newest book: “American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.”

4. Then, for freedom’s sake, celebrate! Give thanks! And pray for the Lincoln’s promise to be fulfilled. 

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

Grace, peace and hope, 

Jim