To sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE
Editor’s Note: The following comes from the Sutherland Institute. To see the original post, click here.
There is a lot of hand-wringing taking place around the country as we approach the first Tuesday of November (after the first Monday of November, of course!). Sutherland Institute remains focused on the first Wednesday of November – knowing that the answers to what ails the nation are not to be found in Washington but in our hearts, homes and neighborhoods. Utah is thriving with a strong free market economy and institutions of civil society fueled by community-driven solutions.
Because of what is happening in Utah, Sutherland Institute is able to pierce the noisy and negative chatter and clamor of our failing and often flailing political system and media pundits. We are determined to send out to the nation the sound of the certain trumpet of principles and policies, while also providing a window in where all can come and see what happens when these principles and policies are properly applied.
During this divisive and often discouraging election cycle, Utah alone among the states has rejected the politics of fear, anger, angst and frustration that the major parties and their candidates have peddled. The world has taken notice – and reporters have flocked to Utah to come and see for themselves what is going right in Utah. (Utah is far from perfect – we have many areas to improve to deal with homelessness, drug addiction, intergenerational poverty, clean air and opportunity and fairness for all. Yet because of our approach, we are well positioned to solve these issues – together.)
The American people are starving for elevated dialogue, searching for uplifting ideas, and striving to find hope in heroes worthy of emulation. As always, a look back in history provides a clear vision of what is needed for the difficult days ahead.
When we honor those who have paid the ultimate price while standing for the principles of freedom, we rightly reference the words of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, that “they gave the last full measure of devotion.” We often miss, however, Lincoln’s powerful and immediate pivot to the future – to us. In the crescendo and cadence of freedom he called on our better angels saying it is “… forus the living,” that “… we be here dedicated,” that “… we take increased devotion” and above all, that “… we here highly resolve!”
Lincoln recognized that that those he honored had already done their part and passed their test. He knew the real question was whether each of us would behighly resolved to do our individual duty.
To be highly resolved is not a casual choice but a complete commitment. A well-known biblical verse says, “Choose ye this day,” but the phrase from the more powerful Greek translation reads, “Commit ye this day.” The difference between a choice and commitment is too big to measure and provides both a directional and destinational difference in our lives. Thus choosing freedom is vastly different from having a highly resolved commitment to freedom.
In these challenging times our children should never have to strain to discern our commitment to freedom nor should our grandchildren have to wonder what we believe or what we have committed to do. Our communities need more highly resolved men and women who care about creating better neighborhoods and a better nation.
The question of our commitment is simple. As Lincoln asked – Will we take increased devotion to the principles that have fostered the greatest civilization the world has ever known? Will we be so dedicated to the unfinished work and the task before us? Will we be as highly resolved to cause of freedom as those who have gone before?
They didn’t have to, you know.
That Revolution
That Declaration that all men are created equal
That law for the people and by the people and of the people rules supreme, not a king
That freedom to believe and imagine and pursue your dreams with small steps or giant leaps
That freedom to speak and sing and write and create without fear
That freedom to try and fail, grow and build, question and explore, share and lift
They didn’t have to do that.
But they did.
And we took it, we the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free
And we breathed.
And we ran, daring to scale the greatest heights of human achievement.
This is who we are.
This land.
This people.
We stumble, yes.
But we get up so we can give to our children and their children this gift, this happiness
This new birth of freedom.
Thank you for your highly resolved commitment to the principles of liberty, and I invite you to join us on a journey toward a new birth of freedom.
For Sutherland Institute, this is Boyd Matheson. Thanks for engaging – because principle matters.
This post is an edited transcript of Principle Matters, a weekly radio commentary broadcast on several radio stations across the country. The podcast can be found on iTunes.
