The Constitution--and Freedom Under God

Sometimes some things are so good, so constant, so much a part of our way of life, that we assume they were always there and always will be, regardless of any actions or attitude of ours, or any future events. The Constitution of our country, and the way of life it makes possible, could come under this category. And so it may be timely and seasonable to ask ourselves what the genius of it is, what basically sustains it and brought it into being. “In our nation,” said a Chaplain of Duke University, “every branch of the government has affirmed its faith in God, its reliance upon God, and the relevance of God’s power, wisdom and justice to our national survival and welfare . . . . The American government has always proclaimed the nation’s faith in God and prayed for the blessing of His wisdom and protection in our national life.” Going back three and a half centuries, the Mayflower Compact was witnessed “in the name of God. . . by the grace of God . . . in the presence of God . . . and for the glory of God.” The framers of the Declaration of Independence acknowledged “the laws of . . . God” and that “all men are . . . endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Witnesses are sworn to tell the truth before God. By what would men otherwise swear themselves? If there were nothing sacred, what would be the worth of their word? The historical documents of the wonderful land in which we live grow out of the acknowledgment of God and His purposes and providence and power: “In God We Trust,” “so help me God,” “one Nation under God,” and on this anniversary of the Constitution of our country we come with the conviction that there is no enduring basis of freedom except it be God-given. How effectively we shall preserve it will much depend upon our attitude toward the Providence that made it possible, upon our reason and restraint, our righteousness and our respect for Him who breathed into it the breath of life. Thank God for the Constitution of our Country!