It’s that time of year, when we are all very concerned about our country every four years or so. Which means it is a presidential election year, of which, I am sure you are all painfully aware. As I survey the landscape and think through the trainwreck that is our country there is a quote by G. K. Chesterton that comes to mind, that I think would be helpful for us all to keep in mind.
Chesterton said, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” When I look at both parties, the Republicans, and the Democrats this sentiment becomes painfully obvious, however, I would also encourage great caution because it is very easy, perhaps easier than any of us would care to admit, to become what you hate most, while very passionately hating what you hate most.
I say this by way of contrast between the two parties, however, some clarity is needed here because I, in no way want this to be an endorsement of the Republican party that I am no fan of. Full disclosure, I think the democrats are wicked and the Republicans are retarded and unprincipled – that is pretty much my summation of the two prevailing parties. So then, what I’m about to say has more to do with those who find themselves forced under that tent (Republican) because they aren’t freaking insane. However, to those who find themselves under that tent, I would again encourage caution as to not decorate this tent in the exact same fashion.
All this to say, that when I listen to the rhetoric on both sides, being very gracious and very broad in the use of the term “rhetoric” it is apparent that one side seems to be entirely driven by hate while the other seems to be, at least, more driven by love. This is a very important point and one that must be held on to very tightly, as too again, not become what you hate most.
When you look at the Republicans, or rather those who currently find themselves under that broad tent, they seem to be genuinely driven by a love for what is behind them. There seems to be a genuine love for country. Some may say this is romantic, pollyannish, perhaps whitewashed and idealistic, or maybe even a bit idolatrous, but regardless of whatever way you slice it or dice it, or whatever the motivations of the heart may be, there is a genuine love for country.
There is a love for our history, imperfect though it may be. The desire to worship and work freely, the desire for liberty and freedom, the desire to have a nation under God, the desire to build a more perfect union and all the sacrifices that went into what we’ve received. There is a genuine love for land and geography, and language and customs and norms. There is a love for community and neighbor even though that neighbor may differ from you in a great multitude of ways. There is a genuine love for the Bill of Rights and Constitution and the rule of law – Lex Rex after all.
As a Christian, I can look at all of this and say, we got all of this because it was downstream from a prevailing worldview, but regardless of whether or not that is directly acknowledged, what has flowed downstream is certainly loved. Also, or course as a Christian, I want Christ to be acknowledged in all of it and never tier of saying that Christ is our King and has blessed our nation in abundance and all of our abundance has come from His hand and should be stewarded accordingly. This also means that I can find much common ground corporately with those who appreciate what’s downstream, though they don’t acknowledge the Source of said blessing I will never tier of telling them – which, or course, I am free to be able to do.
The prevailing motivation here is love for what’s behind them, with the desire to preserve all that is good and noble and true. This is very important because the motivation then, is not inherently destructive, although in any fight or conflict, that which wants to destroy what you love, must of necessity be destroyed. However, destruction is not the prevailing motivation, but rather preservation is.
When one knows principally what hills to die on they know where they stand and why, but they also know what they are fighting for and why. This is very important to keep in mind and is also the primary reason why there is so much liberal drift amongst conservatives. They love what’s downstream, or rather, if you will, they love the fruit but not the root. When this happens, you love outcomes more than principles, which is a sign that the drift left will continue and that you will never get the desired outcomes, leaving one flabbergasted. But if the summum bonum of your life is cheap gas and low taxes, what do you expect.
Also, what can very easily happen when said outcomes are threatened or taken is that instead of returning to first principles which always requires reflection, sacrifice and repentance, we seek simply to win. When this happens we’re no longer fighting to preserve what is behind but rather seeking to destroy what is before. As was said earlier, some of this is by definition necessary. Communism is disgusting and should be forever burned in ash heap labeled Gehenna. However, that can never be your primary motivation because we will end up surrendering all of our liberties to the first person that promises to destroy the communists. Which is to say, that if we need government policies to overreach the overreaching policies we’re already screwed. If you have driven off the road to the right it does you no good to ridicule the driver that is the ditch on the opposite side of the road – who is obviously an idiot.
When it comes to the left it should be obvious to all that their motivation is very different, in fact they will say this much. They hate our country and the history of our country and are actively going out of their way to rewrite history.
They hate the American people because they believe they are too stupid to know what’s good for them, so until they know what’s good them, namely having every aspect of their lives managed by those who have deemed themselves to be more intellect. Said goodness, as determined by the intelligentsia, will have to be forcefully imposed until said goodness can be rightfully understood for what it is.
Because of this, there is a hatred for anything that stands opposed to the party platform because it is hindering the utopia that the intelligentsia wants to usher in. These people, standing in the way of what is obviously good for everyone then must be evil. There is no other way to feel about these people other than hatred. These are not fellow citizens, these are not your neighbors with differing opinions and worldviews. No, these people are evil and must be despised. Some would even go so far as to call them deplorable.
They are driven by a hatred for God and Christianity. They hate what God has designed, they hate His law, they hate marriage and the family. They hate the Bill of Rights, and they hate the Constitution, which they take every opportunity they can to ignore both. They hate your land and your people and community.
Most of all, they hate Trump. Now, I have been very critical of the Trump’s character and will continue to be, however, the fact that these people hate him so much, makes him rather enduring to me which I hate even more. The more they hate him the more I can’t help but root for the guy. When I look at the people that deeply and passionately hate Trump, I can’t help but think, I’m all in. If they hate him that much, then certainly I must love him. But here is where we need to be careful.
The good solider fights for what is behind him that he loves, that which he is trying to preserve. The fear of God and the ability to worship Him freely, the love for family, the desire to raise and educate your children in the fear of the Lord. The love for freedom and liberty and the belief that if one busts their ass they can get ahead in this life without injustice getting in the way. The love for justice and equal weights and equal measures.
The love for our history, ancestry and land and our flag that is supposed to represent that.
If our love shifts from these things to a person, we’re in big trouble because our motivation will then be hatred for that which is opposed to what we love which is no longer principle but person. Instead of opposing democratic ideology which is a cancer and destructive we oppose the person that is opposed to our person. This is where you get the liberal drift, because when we do it, it is obviously different. You become willing to do anything just to beat the other guy, but when that is the case you’ve already become the other guy.
I say all of this, not to say that you shouldn’t hate the prevailing beliefs of the democratic party – you should. Not only that you should be terrified by them. However, that can never be your primary motivation because if it is, we will never be able to build a more perfect union, and you will ultimately become what you hate most.
Cheers!
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