Another Fine Mess

One of the most patriotic songs in the United States is “God Bless America,” famously sung by the contralto, Kate Smith. Written in 1918, in the last year of the Great War, by Irving Berlin, he revised it in 1938 just before the beginning of the Second. The song is brought out, it seems, whenever the nation needs a lift from its present difficulties, and is remembered particularly in the summer when its citizens celebrate Independence Day on July 4th.

Oh, that God would indeed bless America, and other nations as well. But, why should He? Why should God, who is blamed for every calamity, from tornadoes to earthquakes and everything in-between, for every war, and for poverty in general – why should He pour His blessing on this nation, or any other? If I was God, I’m sure that I wouldn’t.

If we expect God to bless us, then we must be willing to submit to Him first. What does that mean? Let’s consider our behavior in light of just a few of His commandments.

The first commandment says that “You shall have no other gods before me.” Broadly, that means that we put Him first in our lives – ahead of everything else. It means that we acknowledge Him as having created us in His image, not for this world, but for the one to come; and it means that we worship Him alone. In our society, however, few people think of Him like this, if at all.

The third commandment says that “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” Believe it or not, there was a time when society actually practiced this; but it is certainly is no longer the case. It’s not unusual to hear four-letter words coming from the mouths of primary age children; and seeing this language in print or hearing it on television has become so common that we almost think there’s something wrong if it’s omitted.

One of the particularly striking things about the misuse of God’s name is that you never hear anyone swear by using the name of a god from one of the religions. Why don’t people blaspheme the name of buddha, krishna, or Mary for that matter, instead of God or Jesus?

The fourth commandment tells us to “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Far from setting Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, aside as a day of rest, it’s become just another shopping day. I remember as a kid being told that if all the Christians stopped going out for lunch after the morning service, many of the restaurants would have to close for the day. Wouldn’t that make a change?

The seventh commandment says “You shall not commit adultery.” This commandment refers to all forms of sexual misconduct. The divorce rate in the US for the first marriage is reported to be 41%; for the second, 60%; and for the third, 73%. What do we think we’re playing at?

The tenth commandment tells us not to covet anything that belongs to someone else. If the United States had followed this one alone, we wouldn’t be bailing out anyone.

If we want God to bless our country, no matter where we live, then we must honor him first. When we fail to do so, we become just as hypocritical as the next person.

Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist

http://www.p-advantage.com