America's Great and Noble Heritage

Devotion and Prayer 8-24-17

“Although America has not always lived up to her own best principles, she has a great and noble heritage.  It would be a shame if that heritage were to be squandered because of misunderstandings and distortions of the Founders principles…Our task is to recover the truth…to discern its strengths, to acknowledge its defects, and to pass on that knowledge to future generations. 

In 1779 Thomas Jefferson proposed a law that would have provided for gradual emancipation in Virginia.  In Congress in 1784, he proposed a law, which came within one vote of adoption, that would have banned slavery from the entire Western territory of the United States.  In 1787 he published his widely read book, Notes on the State of Virginia, which contained the most eloquent denunciation of slavery written by anyone in the founding era, and a detailed plan for the freedom of slaves where children would be brought up, at public expense, to tillage, arts, or sciences, according to their geniuses, . .. (till grown) and colonized,  sending them out with arms, implements, of household and of the handicraft arts, feeds, pairs of the useful domestic animals, etc. to declare them a free and independent people, and extend to them our alliance and protection, till they shall have acquired strength.”   

Now, that does not sound like the words of an evil racist elitist to me. These words are just a small example from Vindicating the Founders by author Thomas G. West.  I share this to help us to peer into the heart and mind of one of our beloved founding fathers. 

Let’s pray: Our dear, gracious heavenly Father, we thank you that you created us in your image and likeness with the ability to grow in knowledge and the capacity to appreciate it.  Help us to love and teach others that which is “honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report and virtuous. We are grateful for our great and noble heritage and we give you praise for it, for Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord.  We ask you O God, for your continued mercy and favor.  We beseech you O Lord, for wisdom and guidance for all our leaders.  Impress upon them the urgency of the hour and the need to produce policy that is right in your sight and for the good of the American people, in Jesus precious name we pray, amen.