Next month, we will celebrate 250 years of triumph and prosperity.
In this “land of the free and home of the brave,” the dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is an attainable one.
My own story could not have unfolded like it did anywhere other than America. Raised in poverty by a single mother who had completed only a few years of formal schooling, no one would have looked at my failing grades as a youngster and thought, “There’s a future neurosurgeon and Cabinet secretary.”
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My story was only possible in a country where hard work, education, and faithfulness can take you far.
Ours is a land of opportunity and plenty — so much so that people are willing to risk their very lives to come here.
How did we get here? From the beginning, American exceptionalism has rested on Judeo-Christian principles embedded in the very fabric of our existence. We are “one nation under God.” Traditionally, our nation has cultivated values of faith, liberty, community, and life, creating stable homes, generations of strong leaders, and even the ability to aid other nations along the way.
Sadly, those who do not support these values have been trying for decades to fundamentally change our country from the inside out. On Jan. 10, 1963, Florida Rep. Syd Herlong read into the Congressional Record the “45 Goals of Communism,” which warned of strategies such as indoctrinating children through the school system and shifting our allegiances and values through media and entertainment. Those efforts may have been successful because recent years have seen a marked shift in the culture in a way that denigrates the values that allowed our people to flourish.
Fewer than 40% of people say religion is very important today, and an even smaller percentage says having children, being involved in the community, and patriotism are very important.
This is a dangerous trend. As President John Adams famously said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” When we walk away from our faith, we walk away from our foundation — and we crumble.
As we march toward our nation’s 250th birthday, it is important to remember and celebrate efforts to reorient culture toward that which makes America the greatest country the world has ever seen.
I am heartened by those stalwarts who stand firm for America’s founding principles despite the rampant confusion and confrontation of our culture. The Fidelity Movement, which prioritizes a recommitment to faithfulness to God, spouses, families, communities, and country, is one of these important voices. As part of their work to elevate these fundamental principles, June is designated as “fidelity month.” This month, the celebration will culminate in a Day of Prayer and Fasting on June 24.
Fidelity is defined as “faithfulness — especially when it is challenging and unpopular.” Fidelity month seeks to reclaim the sources of our unity and strength. The family is the fundamental building block of society: Without healthy families, we cannot have a thriving country.
This truth is demonstrated by the fact that our nation has always been shaped and preserved by the faithful — “people who lit a candle rather than merely curse the darkness”. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Todd Beamer, and Billy Graham — none of them exemplified passivity or cowardice. It’s not just people you know. Millions have fought and died around the world in support of American ideals, giving themselves for a cause greater than their own. They demonstrated the greatest measure of fidelity to faith, family, and country.
You may have heard it said that people want “the kingdom without the King.” Many have gotten to that point in the United States. America’s enemies have tried to kick God off His throne in the name of “tolerance.” But while our culture has been pulled away from its Judeo-Christian foundation little by little, we can reclaim it the same way.
Whatever the platform of influence may be — education, entertainment, media, government, or family — we can use it to turn our country back to God.
As President Abraham Lincoln warned, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We must heal the divisions that we face right now or risk going down the same path that the country did in Lincoln’s time. Let us focus on caring for one another rather than canceling one another. Let us emulate the inspiring leaders who came before us, devoting ourselves to God, our families, and our nation.
And that is something you can do every day. It is up to each of us to stir up unity, compassion, patriotism, faith, and hard work in our own lives.
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What better time to reflect on the kind of culture we are creating than in these days leading up to America’s 250th anniversary?
Fidelity to God is the path forward. This fidelity month, let us recommit ourselves to the principles of faith, life, liberty, and community. Let us focus on what continues to make America great: being “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”