I remember as a youth, walking into libraries, schools, museums, and other public places and finding a framed picture of the Declaration of Independence on the wall.
Preparing to share with our congregation on the weekend leading into Independence Day, I began by reviewing my nostalgic memories of seeing these signs of a common narrative that belonged to us Americans.
I then went to a computer search engine to look up pictures of American classrooms.
The results showed classrooms, new and old, the old ones, of course, in black and white. Among all of them I did not find an image of any wall bearing a framed picture of the Declaration of Independence.
Growing up in central Illinois, it was common to find pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln side by side. I found none of these also.
Ten years ago, I was serving in Carthage. Our prayer group was welcoming a missionary from Latin America who had been serving near the west coast of our nation. When he drove into Carthage, he first thought the Court House was a Cathedral, not only because of the architecture, but because he saw “In God We Trust” in the windows over the doors facing all four directions.
As we were visiting, he commented, “I would never see that where I live.”
All these things are signs of a growing diminishment of a “common narrative” we have held as Americans over a 200-year history. There are efforts going on in our nation to reduce this narrative. The recent wave of removal of historical landmarks is a part of those efforts.
However, there is another narrative connected with our national narrative. It is the narrative of the Bible, larger than our national one, which stems from our first parents and extends to all the world.
Thus, Jesus sent the apostles to all the world. (Matthew 28:16-20) The “Great Awakening” in the 1730s and 1740s was an event within the colonies that brought them together and helped to shape the relationship of faith and freedom and build a uniquely American narrative.
In 1798, when our constitution was new, President John Adams said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (“Quote by John Adams: “Our Constitution was made only for … – Goodreads”) Are his words prophetic?
Pastor Fr. Bill Hodgson is the priest at St. Edward Catholic Church in Cassville. He may be reached at 417-847-4948 or stedwardcassville@ gmail.com.
