THE VILLAGE VICAR SPEAKS

A HISTORY LESSON by Rev. Dr. Ronald Holden

             There are nations who are instinctively democratic and who function with a sense of justice and fair play. There is a deepness of persuasion in the cupboard of their soul that thrusts the interest of the individual and the betterment of humanity to the forefront, expressing it in its legislation by guaranteeing free speech, protecting the rights of the poor and helpless and enabling all to prosper by the concept of free enterprise. Those nations care passionately about the fate of their people.

             Those governments implement the many unpopular measures the country so desperately needs. They are able to distinguish between what is essential and what is trifling in the discharge of political power. The leaders are not occupied with the personal power that can be extracted from their position. They do not behave as if they were the sacrosanct head of a people’s government.

             That kind of government is led by a man who overshadows men of its own party and becomes a unifying symbol to the nation at large. The party possesses a strong sense of individual responsibility.

             But governments rise and fall; they provide good leadership or bad, honest or corrupt, moral or evil, trustworthy or devious.

             Years ago when I taught history, I extracted five key reasons for Rome’s downfall from Edward Gibbon’s classic work The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. They are: [1] The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home. [2] Increasing taxes and spending public money for bread and circuses.  [3] The mad craze for pleasure, with sports becoming more exciting and more brutal.  [4] The building of gigantic armaments, when the real enemy is the decadence of the people.  [5]  The decay of religion, with faith fading into mere form.

             Points 1 and 5 fall under the domain of the theologian, whereas points 2, 3 and 4 are primarily the concern of the government.

             Commenting upon “the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home”, it is difficult to pinpoint where the basis of authority now resides. For society to be effective the power should ascend from the grassroots, the home, to the government which supports the value system of a moralistic, law-abiding and God-fearing home.  When the authority of the home weakens, so does the nation.

             But more importantly from my perspective is the prevailing “decay of religion, with faith fading into mere form”. Government is impossible where moral character is wanting. In fact, true Christianity affords government its surest support. There is no quality for government but virtue and wisdom.

History has demonstrated that nations thrive and grow strong as they develop individual citizens. Good government can exist and persist only as it is rooted in self-government by the millions of individual citizens.

             What is the learning institution that provides instruction in moral behavior, supports good government and instills strong values?  IT IS THE CHURCH.

             When the church fails and is no longer supported by its citizens, the nation becomes weaker and weaker.

             What is needed more now than in any other time, is a movement of the nation from secularism to the Bible, its teaching and, primarily, a conversion to Jesus as the Savior of the world.

             “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord [Psalm 33:12].

A graduate of McGill, a weekly speaker on Persona Channel 18, Past-President of the South Okanagan Ministerial Association and chaplain at the South Okanagan General Hospital and the Osoyoos Legion,  Rev. Dr. Ronald Holden will be addressing religious, moral and sociological subjects in this column