To Bind Up The Nation's Wounds

To bind up the nation's wounds. Today, Lord-willing, my Dad and I will ride our bikes out through the battlegrounds of Gettysburg....bicycles, that is. Not Harleys rolling like thunder, heard from a mile away. 


There is a thunder in our land of ours. The Culture Civil War. Blue States vs. Red States, like Blue vs. Gray uniforms of the battle resonating with Sturm Und Drang. Lightening rhetoric from the airwaves striking at the tree of Civil society. The thunder, an echoing reminder, of splintering damage done.   


There appears to be no end to the battle...both sides are fighting to the death. As Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address noted, both sides invoke God's name, read the same Bible, in the war. On one side, the Liberals tend to want to promote a social gospel of equality towards all, while downplaying and even denying Scripture verses that clearly teach that although each person has dignity, not all choices are equal morally. Even if it is personal. The other side, the Conservatives, seemingly take more joy in the conflict than is proper, and relish being right factually but wrong in spirit, for where does Christ teach that we are to hate our enemies? Let no one dismiss the rancor from the Christian Right being nothing less than hate. Repent. In the middle, are those who hold mixed beliefs. More Conservative economically, and more Liberal socially. And perhaps vice-versa, like the Catholic populace. 


On this Saturday, between the Cross and the Resurrection, let us pause and reflect on the One who was wounded for us and endeavor to lessen our wounding ways. Until we are weary of the casualty of war, we war on.