America—a Two-hearted Nation

A commentary by Randy Stiver
United Church of God pastor, Coos Bay, Eugene and Roseburg, Oregon

America has heart problems—she has two hearts! The 2004 national election will largely determine which heart will dominate. The nations of the world wait—political stethoscopes in hand and ear—to hear the beat.

The hue and cry of this campaign for the most powerful political position in the world has snapped and snarled for more than a year, with candidates vying for victory in perhaps the bitterest political battle in living memory.

Which heart will win—the heart of American tradition or the newer heart of global, secular humanism? Political rhetoric rumbles left and right, but what is the critical line of demarcation?

Has any pundit accurately pinned down the critical dividing line between the two hearts? One did—long before the campaign got under way. His name: Moses Ben-Amram.

Just call him Moses for short. He led a dynamic political movement called the Exodus. He's also famous for delivering the Ten Commandments. And it's a good thing he did that years ago or one of America's hearts would have ridiculed and legislated him out of this country and all the way back to Egypt!

Moses wrote an inspired piece in the third of his five books: Leviticus. It's a chapter listing blessings and curses for the ancient nation of Israel. Blessings were for obedience to divine law, curses for breaking that law.

He quoted no less authority than God Himself, "And after this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power …" (Leviticus 26:18-19, emphasis added throughout).

If God considered breaking a nation's pride in her power a punishment or curse, then a proper pride in that power must be a blessing. Consider the contrasting positions of America’s two hearts.

First, the heart of American tradition believes: in the "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all" line (in the nation's pledge of allegiance to the flag), in freedom of religion, speech, association and the rest of the Bill of Rights and in the freedom of economic opportunity for its entire people.

At the core of this traditional American heart is an underlying, even though imperfect, belief in God and the Bible. It believes that the nation's great human and natural resources come from Providence.

In sharp contrast the second, the global, secular-humanistic heart, believes in: "politically correct" litmus tests for liberty and justice that support primarily those embracing its philosophy, preferential standards of fair play, caps on economic opportunity and a fundamental intolerance for those who disagree with its philosophy. And most frightening of all, it believes that it is in America’s best interest to yield her power to an international community of nations dominated by some who are jealous of her success.

This "modern" heart also believes in a twisted kind of freedom: freedom from religion, freedom from restraint of behavior, freedom to engage in every sort of non-marital sexual behavior— even to the point of completely redefining marriage itself. The reason for this is that, at its core, this heart dismisses the Judeo-Christian ethic and actively resents any reminder of divine law.

These are the nation’s two hearts. The November 2 election will determine which heart will provide the dominant beat in the body of American power for the next four years. Its ramifications will ripple powerfully through the international community.

But there's more. There's another heart—one that America doesn't have, doesn't yet even understand. It is a heart that longs for leaders who sincerely mirror all the principles revealed in the laws of God. Jesus Christ alluded to power administered by that devout heart when He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).

God's plan projects beyond the next four years to a new governmental authority that will be greater by far than America’s power. His kingdom will surpass America and all other nations. And Jesus Christ will exercise that power without shame or apology.

As Jesus Christ watches this election, He is examining America's (and everybody else's) heart condition. He laments through Moses' pen: "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (Deuteronomy 5:29). "Always" keep "all"—neither of America's two hearts does that.

How is your heart? Does it have the right kind of pride in the power of God? There's another far greater election taking place and the campaign extends well beyond November 2. No two-heartedness pervades it.

You can be involved in campaigning for a more accurate and widespread understanding of Christ's Second Coming. God the Father is looking for a few faithful, wholehearted volunteers to do His Work of spreading that wonderful good news. Let Him hear from you today.

For a clear picture of Jesus Christ’s campaign to enlighten mankind about the truth of the coming Kingdom of God, you may request or download now your free copy of our booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom.