Presuming it happens as planned, by the time this is read, Donald J. Trump will have taken the oath of office and begun his second term as President of the United States of America. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the chairwoman of the Joint Congregational Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), has vowed there will be a peaceful transfer of power. Fellow JCCIC member, Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has similarly pledged that this will occur, asserting “a peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of a healthy democracy.” It should reassure Americans to have members of the U.S. Congress make public statements like these, especially at critical times such as Inauguration Day.
For nearly two and a half centuries—after it was proposed in 1776 by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson—Americans have been entreated to reflect on the Latin motto E Pluribus Unum (“Out of Many, One”). Having government officials exhibit a will for peace and unity in the nation, despite their differences, is what the Founding Fathers wanted for citizens of the United States. The framers of the U.S. Constitution were not tyrants. They could not be characterized as misguided brutes driven by corrupted, selfish wills; they were brilliant political theorists and articulate, determined statesmen who sought to establish a form of government which recognized the dignity of all people, affording the American people with liberties that many of us have all too often taken for granted. In 1787, when Benjamin Franklin had left the Constitutional Convention, a woman reportedly asked him, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Then came his famous, prescient reply: “A republic, if you can keep it.”
In his recent book Democracy and Solidarity: On the Cultural Roots of America’s Political Crisis, the distinguished sociologist James Davison Hunter suggests the real problem is not so much that polarization exists in the United States but that there is a lack of ability or “cultural resources” to work through what divides us as people. He asks, “Can America’s political crisis be fixed?” What cultural resources will support liberal democracy in the future?” Both are important questions which deserve serious reflection. Referencing the work of Os Guinness, Hunter acknowledges Christianity offers cultural resources for civilizing and revitalizing our public life. While it may be disputed by skeptics and scoffers, it should not surprise us. As it is written, “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; and his tongue speaks justice (Psalm 37:30, ESV)
Consider the fact that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, two of the nation’s greatest presidents and most gifted statesmen, men who capably led the nation through war and civil unrest, were not dismissive of what the Bible taught, but generally accepted its basic precepts. Lincoln drew heavily on the Scriptures, powerfully communicating their message as President during one of the most difficult, trying periods of our nation’s history—the Civil War. Erupting at the beginning of his presidency, this conflict claimed more American lives that World War I and II combined and it literally almost tore apart the union. Lincoln understood it was his duty to keep the nation united. Like other presidents, he had taken the oath of office, saying, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” His writings and speeches have an unusual quality to them, showing the depth of a man who had wrestled with spiritual questions and had his mind shaped by the Scriptures. (See Stephen Mansfield’s book Lincoln’s Battle with God: A President’s Struggle with Faith and What It Meant for America).
Even though it may never be personally recognized or publicly acknowledged, the Scriptures describe human life in terms of an enduring, cosmic spiritual battle. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but...against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12).” So, it is then, that every Christian should heed the apostle Paul’s instruction: that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim 2:1-2, ESV).” In doing so, those whom the Holy Spirit has given faith, hope, and love may find themselves acting to form a more perfect union.