CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
February 28, 2010
25424 Aldine-Westfield, Spring, TX. 77373
www.blakehart.com/cypresswoodbulletin.htm
PRAYERS AND PRAISE:
God’s will for our congregation The spread of the good news
Various friends, relatives and co-workers Our nation, military and leaders
BIRTHDAYS IN MARCH: Virgil Oller (4th), Anita White (5th), Jimmy King (5th), Leo Bricker (10th), Muriel Mearns (15th), Bobby Cru thirds (18th), Mary King (19th), Pat Henderson (22nd)
FOLLOW THE DRINKIN’ GOURD
“He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25).
In earlier January on Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume opined that a famous golfer whose family life appears to be falling apart should seek the forgiveness that is found in the Christian religion, so that he could rebuild his self-destructive life. That did not go over well with some in the main stream media who, in their postmodern thought, found Hume’s comments crazy (and that is a kind word compared to others). Brit Hume retired from the news so as to pursue, among other things, a better relationship with God through Bible study with his wife. He has stated that he was a nominal Christian until his twenty-eight year old son committed suicide. That event drew him closer to God (1).
One would think by listening to many public figures that any mention of Christianity, or the Judeo-Christian ethic, is some sort of evil; the separation of church and state, you know. Of course, those who speak of Christianity may do so if what they say supports a particular political point of view that leans toward big government. What would astonish some is how influential Judeo-Christian influences are in this country.
Bruce Feiler, a Jewish fellow, who leans toward a theologically liberal point of view, has written a book called America’s Prophet (2). It is subtitled Moses and the American Story. In the book, he examines how people looked at events through the eyes of Moses. He sums it up this way:
“At the start of my journey, I knew I would find the themes of Moses’ life in key moments
in America’s past. But I did not anticipate the depth, breadth, and intensity of America’s
attachment to the Exodus. I hadn’t known that the Pilgrims were so steeped in Mosaic
language or that Americans took the words of Moses on a cracked state bell and turned it
into an international symbol of liberty. I hadn’t known that Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams
proposed Moses for America’s seal, or that Washington was eulogized as the American
Moses. I hadn’t realized how deeply Moses motivated the slaves or how richly he echoed
at Gettysburg. I was surprised how directly he shaped the Statue of Liberty and how vividly
he colored popular culture, from Cecil B. DeMille to Superman. And I was inspired that
nearly every defining American leader -- from Washington to Lincoln to Reagan -- invoked
the Moses story in times of crisis. From Christopher Columbus to Martin Luther King,
from the age of Gutenberg to the ear of Google, Moses helped shape the American dream.
He is our true founding father. His face belongs on Mount Rushmore” (3).
That summation shows the areas that Mr. Feiler looked at in his study of Moses in America. The Pilgrims saw the Old World as Egypt and the New World as the Promised Land. Crossing the ocean was the Red Sea. During the Revolutionary War, King George was Pharaoh, and Washington could be seen as the new Moses. He was eulogized as such by quite a few preachers. In reading the book, I found it interesting how preachers used Moses to support whatever issue they were supporting or opposing.
Slavery and the War Between the States (4) highlighted this from both sides. Both sides found Moses useful in the slavery issue; Moses against Moses. It was the slaves who found Moses most useful. They saw slavery as bondage in Egypt. To flee north via the Underground Railroad as the wilderness journey and to cross either the Ohio River or the Great Lakes was the Promised Land. Martin Luther King Jr. often used Moses to explore the civil rights movement. In one of his last speeches, he said that he had been to the mountain top, echoing Moses being taken to the top of Mt. Nebo to see the Promised Land that he would not enter.
Many a Moses did not see the Promised Land they were looking for. They would be led in by a Joshua. Too often, leaders think that they are indispensable but we learn from Moses that it takes a Moses to lead the people through the wilderness and a Joshua to enter the Promised Land. There is a lesson in that for us when we see elders hang on for years thinking that they are the only ones who can lead the church and hinder those who have different points of view to come into leadership.
The title of this article, Follow The Drinkin’ Gourd is interesting. It was a song sung to escaping slaves as they headed north. Its purpose was to show the direction in which they were to go. It represented the Big Dipper as they headed north following the North Star. A number of folk groups sang this song. As a side note, a number of folk singers sing songs of slavery.
I think that Mr. Feiler brings attention to the influence of one portion of scripture as used in our history. This would come as a shock to many who think that we have always been a secular nation. In our Biblically illiterate society, this is understandable. The Bible certainly has had an impact on our nation whether we see ourselves as a “Christian” nation or not. This was an enjoyable read.
George B. Mearns
(1) See Peter Wehner, Hume’s Gentle Witness, www.nationalreview.com (1/7/2010), Ann Coulter, Christianity: If you can find a better deal, take it! www.wnd.com (1/7/2010), Cal Thomas, Something About That Name, www.townhall.com (1//7/2010) or his website at www.calthomas.com , Charles Colson, How Dare He? www.breakpoint.org under commentaries (1/7/2010).
(2) Published by William Morrow, 2009.
(3) p. 296.
(4) Or the War of Northern Aggression or its better known title, The Civil War.