於2020-03-23發佈


一個委任—美國遺產概要 6 

人的首要問題:什麼是他們的目的。擁有目的感成為歷史上最強大的驅動力,特別是天上所頒佈的目的。美國開國元老被注入屬天目的感所帶來的能力超過一切他們的學習與才智─一個他們相信能改變列國路線的委任。

當形勢對你很不利,擁有屬天呼召的感受是很鼓舞人的。美國開國父老堅信他們所事奉的神大過一切形勢,無論他們有多渺小軟弱,他們的敵人有多強大。這在他們裡面釋放了某個比勇氣更大的東西─那就是信心。

美國開國父老抓住一個宏觀真理─真正的合一是多元性的合一,而不是一致性的合一。只有透過自由的眼光才能看見如此多元性的合一,在世上的其他領袖可能都無法看見:不同殖民者所產生的多元性才是一種力量,一個空前合一的契機─如此合一所帶來的能力會比強迫一致性的合一更強大。

美國開國父老是一群很多元的團體,他們對國家的異象很分歧,他們所看見的很不同,但這些不同都是整體性的一部份。當他們一開始聚集時,他們是以不同的基督教教派來區分,或是無教派的自成一派,就像是傑弗遜,他認為根本不應該分教派。他們一同解決此分歧,以多元表達的方式在基督教的核心原則上合而為一。

他們的全面性異象範疇從有些人想在地上建立神的國,到有些看見他們的國家如同特別的自由堡壘,成為列國受壓制、受迫害與貧窮者的避難所。自由成為公分母的根基,保護自由是他們的核心目的,他們定意為自由而戰,並讓此成為他們政府的設計草圖。

他們有一共識,就是宗教自由是所有其他自由依據的根基,這甚至是由少數世俗父老所堅持。宗教自由需要言論自由,言論自由需要新聞輿論自由。這等自由幾乎受到所有開國父老所相信與明確表達,那即是若失去了宗教自由,其他自由也會相繼失去。宗教自由被視為將其他自由繫在一起的關鍵。

他們的想法在當時是相當崇高且史無前例的,但是否真能執行?美國人民是否能成功建造一個持久、世上從沒有過的共和國?在歷史上每當要嘗試組成一個民主政府,很快就被一個更糟的暴政所推翻。這需要非凡勇氣與膽識來嘗試他們尋求做的事,但他們需要更大的異象、特質與智慧才能成功。

正如我們曾談到的,未來也會更深入探討,更大的異象、特質與智慧根基透過大覺醒運動深植人心。他們仍有著強大掙扎,正如在建造並維持任何國家所面對的一樣。然而,美國人所面對的是全新的挑戰,因為他們向著完全未知的水域航行,首先是成為共和國─這是之前從沒成功過的─接著此共和國的型態遠比之前所領受的更來得雄心壯志。

最初古希臘曾嘗試建立共和國,沒有維持太久到足以提供真實管理共和國的指南。就像哥倫布發現美國新大陸,他們也沒有地圖,但有指南針。他們朝著想要前進的方向航行,直到他們發現一片土地。於是他們一步步尋求智慧,製作出讓他人可以跟隨的地圖。

要進入戰場需要一種特別勇氣,但要對抗更強大勢力需要更大的勇氣,這就是美國人面對英國的景況。需要有很不一樣的勇氣才能成為探險家,放下一切向著未知領域航行,不知道將會發現什麼。在成功贏得獨立戰爭之後,美國人必須聚集不同種類的勇氣去保存他們所贏得的自由,並且建立一個長存的共和國。

在軍事歷史上,贏得戰爭算是最偉大的功績之一,但美國人接下來所成就的,可能是人類政治上最偉大的功績。除了摩西所做過的以外,美利堅合眾國是人類有政府以來最偉大的神蹟了。但這不是透過一個人所完成的,而是透過許多很不一樣的人在同一目的上合而為一。現在我們需要相同的勇氣、信心、願意犧牲,並需要合一的神蹟來保存共和國,就像當初它被建立的。

讓我們永不懷疑那是可能的,因為我們所擁有的神在祂沒有難成的事。首先我們需要與神合一,我們是藉著神才擁有我們的目的,唯有藉著祂的手我們才能再次得著此目的,並看著它最終完成。為此緣故,我們必須為復興和另一次大覺醒禱告,多過為我們政府的禱告。

正如自身的勇氣不同於政治上的勇氣,在戰爭時期所需要的領導階層不同於和平時期所需要的領導階層。由革命戰爭所贏得的和平並不穩定,因為最初的殖民政府很不穩定。聯邦政府過於鬆散,沒有太多實質權柄或權力。如何修正此問題,是歷史記錄上最傑出的領導學研究之一。我們現在需要相同的智慧來保存共和國,同時保有我們的自由,我們也必須研讀此。

要經歷個人的轉換過程是很困難的,但要帶來整個新美國經歷轉換,需要有史以來最偉大的政治領袖。全世界都不相信美國可以做到,世界列王和領袖打賭美國很快會回到帝國政府或君主政體。

美國開國父老尋求做的事極其難做,很難做到十全十美,一定會犯一些錯。即便如此,他們所做的事挑戰了當時所有的政治法則與社會學。他們做得很好,他們所做成的神蹟應當把他們列在摩西的行列中。他們所做之事挑戰了邏輯,就像所有神蹟成就的一樣。社會和政治神蹟不亞於自然界的神蹟,毫無疑問有一個更大的力量在我們開國元老當中運行,而且他們非常樂意高舉神。

然而,就算是受神驅使的政府若沒有對的人選,也會變成不好的政府,正如我們在聖經中所看見的以色列。今日我們政府功能不彰並不是因為政府的模式,乃是因為在裡面主導的人,他們遠離藉以保存共和國的憲法根基。我們目前危機可以找到的解藥是再次與憲法接合。

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~摘錄美國第二任總統與前三位最具影響力的開國父老─約翰·亞當斯John Adams)~

我們的憲法只為了有道德和有宗教的人所設立,對於其他人完全不適用。

~摘錄美國第二任總統─約翰·亞當斯John Adams)~

基督教的一大好處在於它帶給自然定律與國家法律的偉大原則,就好像愛人如己,做在別人身上就如同做在自己身上一樣,以全民的知識,信仰和崇敬為己任。

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 6, 2020)
 

A Mandate—Heritage Brief 6

 The number one question people have is what their purpose is. The sense of purpose has been the most powerful motivating force in history, especially a Divinely ordained purpose. American Founding Fathers were infused with a sense of Divine purpose more powerful than all their learning and brilliance—a mandate that they believed would change the course of nations. 

     When the odds are against you, having a sense of a Divine calling can be encouraging. They were convinced they were serving One who was bigger than any odds, regardless of how small and weak they were or how big and powerful their enemies. This released something in them even greater than courage—it released faith.

     The American Founding Fathers grasped a magnificent truth—true unity is a unity of diversity, not a unity of conformity. Such could only be seen by those looking through the eyes of liberty. It was likely that no other leader in the world could have seen that the diversity in different colonies was actually a strength, and an opportunity for unprecedented unity—one that would have much greater power than any unity from a forced conformity.  

     The American Founding Fathers were a diverse group. Their vision for the country was diverse, but they came to see the differences as different parts to a whole. When they first gathered, they were divided mostly by their Christian denominational affiliations, or in the case of those like Jefferson, by believing that there should not even be denominations. They worked through it and became unified around the core principles of their Christian faith expressed in diverse ways. 

     Their overall vision ranged from those who thought they were establishing the kingdom of God on earth to those that saw their nation as a special fortress for freedom and a haven for the poor, oppressed, and persecuted from other nations. Freedom was the foundation and the common denominator. Protecting freedom was the core purpose they were resolved to fight for and design their government for. 

     There was agreement that religious liberty was the foundation upon which all other freedoms were based. This was even held by the few who were secular in their devotion. Religious freedom demanded the freedom of speech, and freedom of speech demanded freedom of the press. It was believed, and articulated by virtually all of the Founders, that if religious freedom were lost, the loss of all other freedoms would follow. Religious liberty was considered the linchpin freedom that held all of the others together. 

     Their ideals were high and unprecedented at the time, but could they actually work? Were the American people able to succeed in establishing a lasting republic when no others ever had? Every attempt in history to form a democratic government had quickly dissolved into anarchy followed by an even worse tyranny. It would take uncommon courage and boldness to even try what they sought to do, but it would take even greater vision, character, and wisdom to succeed. 

     As we covered, and will do so in more depth later, the foundations of greater vision, character, and wisdom had been firmly laid in the colonies by the Great Awakening. There would still be a mighty struggle, just as there is in building and preserving any nation. However, the Americans faced entirely new challenges because they were sailing in completely uncharted waters, first to be a republic—which had not succeeded before—and then a type of republic far more ambitious than had even been conceived of before. 

     The previous attempts to build republics, beginning in ancient Greece, had not lasted long enough to provide instructions on how to actually govern as a republic. Like Columbus who discovered the Americas, they did not have a map, but they had a compass. They would keep going in the direction they were headed until they found solid ground. Then they would seek wisdom for each step and make a map for others to follow. 

     It takes a special kind of courage to go into a battle, but even more so against a greatly superior force as the Americans faced with the British. It takes a different kind of courage to be an explorer, to cast off and sail into the unknown not knowing what you will find. After prevailing in the war for independence, the Americans had to muster this different kind of courage to preserve the freedom they had won and establish a lasting republic.

     Winning the war had been one of the greatest feats in military history, but then they accomplished possibly the greatest feat in human politics. With the exception of what Moses had been used to do, the American Republic had been the greatest miracle in human government since. But it had not been done through one person, but rather many diverse men who had become one in purpose. Now we need the same kind of courage, faith, and willingness to sacrifice, as well as a miracle of unity to preserve the Republic, as it did to found it. 

     Let us never doubt that it is possible because we have a God for which nothing is impossible. The unity we need first is with Him. It is through God that we have our purpose, and it is only by His hand that we can regain it and see it ultimately accomplished. For this reason, we must be praying for revival and another Great Awakening, even more than praying for our government. 

     Just as physical courage is different from political courage, the kind of leadership needed in war is different from the leadership required in peacetime. The peace won by The Revolutionary War was not stable because the government of the colonies was unstable at first. It was too loose of a federation with very little real authority or power. How correcting this was accomplished is one of the most remarkable studies in leadership in recorded history. We must study this as the same wisdom is needed now to preserve the Republic while maintaining our liberty.

     Going through personal transitions can be difficult, but to carry an entire nation through what the new American nation was going through required some of the greatest political leadership ever. The whole world did not believe it could be done. Kings and world leaders made wagers on how quickly America would revert to becoming another imperial government or monarchy.   

     What the Founders sought to do would be extremely hard to do at all, much less do perfectly. Mistakes were expected and they were made. Even so, what they did defied all the laws of political and social physics. That they did it as well as they did should put them in the company of Moses for the miracles wrought through them. What they did defies logic, as all miracles do. Social and political miracles can be no less awesome than physical miracles. There was no doubt that a greater Power was working through our Founders, and they readily acknowledged Him. 

     Yet, even a divinely inspired government will turn into bad government if we do not have the right people in it, just as we see in Scripture with Israel. The present dysfunction of our government today is not caused by the form of government, but rather by the people in it and their departure from the strong constitutional moorings necessary to preserve the Republic. The remedy to the great crises of our time can be found by reconnecting to The Constitution. 

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Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. –John Adams, second President of the United States and considered one of the three most influential of the Founders.

One great advantage of the Christian religion is that it brings the great principle of the law of nature and nations, love your neighbor as yourself, and do unto others as you would that others should do to you, to the knowledge, belief, and veneration of the whole people. – John Adams