A Goodly Heritage
“The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.” (Psalm 16:6)
“Why has democracy failed in Brazil and succeeded in America?” This was the question a young Brazilian teenage girl posed to her America missionary teacher. She then went on to comment that when Brazil wrote her constitution it was patterned after that of America. She repeated her question: “Why had democratic form of government succeeded in America and failed in Brazil?” the teacher could not answer the question. Through the rest of her student days the girl diligently searched for an answer to her question. She searched the pages of history, she confronted Brazilian leaders and American travelers with her question – but no one could give her a satisfying answer. Upon graduation from college she became a school teacher. She lived upon the bare necessities of life and saved the rest of her money until at last she had enough to travel to America. Certainly she would find her answer here. She visited the large cities and intellectual centers of America asking educational leaders, newspaper editors, religious leaders and high government officials for an answer to her question. None could satisfy her. At last she came to Washington. She visited the Supreme Court, she sat in the halls of Congress and still found no answer. Then one day while walking through the aisles of the Library of Congress she came upon two identical glass cases standing side by side. In one was a copy of the American Constitution. In the other was a copy of the Holy Bible. She suddenly realized that she had come to the end of her search. For here in the symbol was the answer to her question. The principles enunciated in the Constitution of the United States had been derived from the bible. The bible had ever been an open book in America and its teachings were woven into the fabric of the citizens of America. But in Brazil the bible was a closed book and its teachings were largely unknown.
The basic principles which have largely contributed to the success of America and have caused us to say, “The lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea; I have a goodly heritage,” are derivative. They are not the roots but are the fruits coming to us out of the bible which Andrew Jackson said, “That book, sir, is the rock upon which this Republic rest.” These fruits, rooted and grounded in the bible, which have contributed so largely to the greatness of America are at least three in number.
- A high sense of the worth of the individual.
- A common code of morality.
- A vital trust in God.
The bible proclaims that God is no respecter of persons. It affirms that He equally loves all the people of the world: “red or yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight.” It matters not how weak, ugly, deformed, unattractive a person may be physically, he is needed in the economy of God. The one talent man is just a necessary and the ten talented man for the accomplishment of God’s ultimate purpose for the world and the human race. Even in the husks of some far off country he remains a child of God and never becomes one of the swine. He is important unto God, for he is one for whom Christ died.
The American way of life rest upon this distinctively Christian teaching. It is written with a pen of iron, it is engraved with the point of a diamond upon the heart of the conscience of America. It is boldly set forth in our state papers. “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights … Four score and seven years ago our Fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” This principle is set forth in the first ten amendments to the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights.
In this atmosphere initiative and creativity blossomed. A backwoods boy with little formal education could become president of our nation; an office boy could become head of a large corporation. This sense of freedom to become and develop God-given talents to the utmost produced men like Cyrus McCormick, Eli Whitney, Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver and Jonas Salk.
Today we are in danger of losing this heritage by default. Initiative is stifled by indifference and creativity is giving away to complacency. Many are afraid of being thought different from the common herd. We want to maintain the status quo and live in dread of being called a “Square.”
On the editorial page of the News Democrat of Belleville, Illinois the following appeared: “Square” another of the good old words, has gone the way of “love” and “modesty” and “patriotism.”
It is something to be snickered at or outright laughed over.
It used to be that there was no higher compliment you could pay a man than to call him a “square-shooter.” The advertiser’s promise of a “square deal” once was as binding as an oath on the bible.
Today’s “square” is a guy who volunteers when he doesn’t have to.
He’s a guy who gets his kick from trying to do a job better than anyone else. He’s a boob who gets lost in his work that he has to be reminded to go home. He hasn’t learned to cut corners or good off.
“This creep we call a “square” gets all choked up when he hears children singing “My country, ‘tis of thee …”
He even believes in God and says so in public. He reads Scripture when nobody is watching, and prays when nobody is listening.
A “square” is a guy who lives within his means whether the Jones do or not, and thinks his Uncle Sam should, too. He is likely to save some of his own money for a rainy day, rather than counting on using yours.
He believes in honoring father and mother and “do unto others” and that kind of stuff.
Will all gooney birds answering this description please stand up. You misfits in this brave new age, you dismally disorganized, improperly apologetic ghost of the past stand up. Stand up and be counted!
You square … who turn the wheels and dig in the fields and move mountains and put rivets in our dreams. You squares … who dignify the human race, who hold the thankless world place. Stand up and be counted!
Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone. Using your God-given personality, your initiative and creativity, dare to become and be the kind of person God wants you to be.
The bible says, “Righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people.” It calls upon us to offer the sacrifices of righteousness. The moral code as set forth in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount were woven by our forefathers with cords of steel into the warp and woof of the American society. We may laugh at the Puritans and their strict morality; we may snicker at the Quakers with their emphases upon peace; we may deride the Scotch Irish with their stern sense of right and wrong; but remember it was these who gave righteous content and moral authority to our society. In the heated and sometime bitter battles over the policies of government, those on opposite sides had a mutual respect and admiration for each other growing out of a loyalty to a common code of morality. There’s was not a perfect society. Sin and evil did abide in their midst. But because of their loyalty to high moral ideals and ethical conduct they produced more “that is good and creative than that which was evil and disruptive.”
Today we sadly witness an erosion of moral authority. Policy is all too often determined by that which is expedient rather than by that which is morally right. We act in the manner to win the god graces of our neighbors, rather than the good favor of God. Votes are cast for that which will further personal ambition. Rights are measure not in relation to the rights of others in particular and to the rights of society as a whole but in accord with our own personal pride and prejudice.
We need to recall that “the lines have fallen unto us in pleasant places and that we have a goodly heritage,” because our forefathers were committed to God’s standard of morality. Only as we have the same sense of dedication will our children and grandchildren have a goodly heritage.
God said unto our forefathers: “Get thee out of the country unto a land that I will show thee. I will bring thee forth out of the land of political oppression, out of the house of bondage which denies you the right of free worship, out of the miry pit of economic servitude. I will give unto thee a great and goodly land. Enter thou in and possess it. And remember I will have no other Gods before Me.”
So they came – out of different countries, men and women from different class and racial backgrounds. They came with a respect for the rights and privileges of others. They were united by a common code of ethics. Upon these shores they carved out and built “one nation under God.” The mortar which held them together in times of national conflict and personal crisis was their vital trust in God.
But in this day our national prosperity we stand in danger of forgetting the God who brought us out of the lands of oppression into a goodly land flowing with mike and honey. Through what seems to be a false interpretation of the first amendment we have ruled God and prayer out of our public education system. On any given Sunday 70% of the members of the Church will have forsaken the assembling of themselves together. We have made God’s day a day for business and recreation and not a day for worship and spiritual re-creation. But why should I continue to enumerate that God is not in our thoughts and ways when you are so well aware of it. But I do need to remind you that God says: “If ye will not harken unto me … I will set my face against you, you shall be slain before your enemies and they that hate you shall reign over you.”
And now, I seem to hear some say: “The wrong people hear this message. Those who really need it are not here.” Many of you will recall that last Sunday, I had the privilege of sitting in my car while another preached from this pulpit. At one point in Mr. Andrew’s excellent and though provoking sermon, this was my reaction. But immediately God spoke to me and said, “This is for you. Rededication to the high principles which have made your nation great must begin with the faithful remnant.” How true this is! The torch must be relit in our lives. For only then will it be rekindled in the lives and hearts of the 70% who are not here.
The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, yes we have a goodly heritage. Let us each recommit ourselves to become preservers of our heritage. In God we trust, must be inscribed not only upon our coins, but also upon our hearts or else the day will surly dawn when such coins will become collectors’ items.
Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick
Whitfield Presbyterian Church, June 6, 1965
Kingdom's Garden 
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