The United States of America is imperfect (as are her leaders and citizens), and we might fill volumes criticizing her (them). On the other hand, she is arguably the greatest country in the history of the world, and we might go farther by protecting her and the foundation that helped her become the greatest country yet. And of what is made the foundation of America? What conditions helped create her greatness, which if protected and enhanced might make her greater still? May we suggest four cornerstones of her foundation that we need to preserve and enhance:
Cornerstone #1. A core of loving, caring people who aspire to follow Christ and/or hold Christian values. (If you are not a Christian believer, you might feel tempted not to keep reading, but be patient.) Could it be that some of the values that you hold might be Christian values? Do you believe that people should be kind to each other, treat one another as they might like others to treat them, and reach out to the poor and downtrodden? These are Christian values. It may come as a surprise to some that it is a requirement of a happy, wholesome society that it be comprised mostly of kind and loving people. Consider for a moment if a society were comprised exclusively of mean, heartless people. In spite of whatever laws were passed, they would find ways to kill each other, steal from one another, and cause each other pain. If you took all their knives and guns away, they would kill each other with whatever was left. They would infiltrate the government (no matter what brand of government it was) and create corrupt laws. The powerful would thrive and the weak would suffer and fear. On the other hand, if a society were comprised exclusively of loving people, all the adults might walk around armed to the teeth without endangering one another. The government would run smoothly, without corruption, no matter what brand of government might be in place. The poor and weak would be cared for. Please note that the issue is not about being Democrat, Republican, Whig, or any other political party. It's about valuing human beings. It's about respecting, valuing, and helping one another. The USA prospers in national happiness to the extent that the people have love for each other. People learn to love each other as children at home and in beneficial organizations such as religions and service groups. Don't wait for your government to do something about this. The level of loving kindness in our nation is something that the government can't change; it doesn't know how to help people love each other. You can't legislate happiness into a nation of rude, angry people.
This cornerstone is in jeopardy as evidenced by the following: There is a growing level of disrespect and intolerance in the public arena, especially in cyberspace. There is less cooperation between political parties. Our media and video games are full of violence, bullying, and arguing, making our children more prone to these acts of unkindness. People are increasingly distant from one another. For example, it's less likely than in past years that a neighbor will take a bowl of soup to a sick neighbor, or even be aware that the neighbor was sick, or even know the neighbor at all. We like to think of ourselves as loving people, but chances are that we don't leave our digital devices long enough to even notice those around us. Most crucially, our children don't see examples of loving kindness, because their parents are too busy and angry. Our next generation can only be happy if we teach them the principles of happiness, which, whether you are Christian or not, are the principles that Christ taught.
What you can do to support this cornerstone: Please see the very first blog on this site. Be kind even when it's hard to do.
