The Great Un-Civil War

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Those words in the Preamble to the Constitution, express hope and purpose for a struggling new nation; one that would see many different struggles in its future, but one that would be resilient and able to overcome the challenges of traversing the seas of the nation’s future. As I began thinking about this today, it is apparent that our history demonstrates how the hope and purpose expressed in the Preamble have been met with times of great celebration and with times of great challenge.

Abraham Lincoln spoke words in one of those times of great challenge that came to me this morning as being very applicable to our challenging times today. His remarks were made “four score and seven (87) years” after our forefathers declared the independence of this new nation. I believe we can take them to heart “12 score and 2 (242) years” after our nation’s birth as well.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Now, twelve score and two (242) years since the Declaration of Independence, we find ourselves in a great “un-civil war” that may well determine whether or not “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” or whether this “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” shall possibly “perish from the earth.”

I pray that in the coming days, Almighty God will “strip the blinders off us” and “expose” all that is contrary to His will; that He will give us wisdom, insight, discernment, direction, and the courage and resolve to be obedient to His “still, small voice” and not all the “voices” that are “railing and raging” throughout our land. God Bless America!; and God preserve us as “one nation, under Him”.

*** Fred Wilson *** is an  author, former coach, teacher  and Life and Liberty News Contributor