July 14, 2005
Optimism and the American Dream
Being an optimistic person myself I gravitate towards stories of hope, courage and triumph. This is the American story and a constant reminder of what the American Dream is all about. As Romans 1 reveals all of creation reflects God’s glory, and thus each of us in the image of our Creator are endowed with a similar dream. This dream as described by David Gelernter in an article Americanism –and Its Enemies is a common belief that “every human being everywhere is entitled to freedom, equality, and democracy”.
Now I might quibble over the use of entitlement, but the common thread in all humanity is a dream of freedom, equality and democracy. This is embodied in the “American Creed” or the American Dream as I prefer to call it. This is what unites us under one flag; this is what knits us together as a country. The same dream that both entices others to become a part of our society and creates our enemies.
This dream is being tested right now and put to the fire. It was forged in the flames of our past and it will be purified by the refiner’s fire of the present. Gelernter writes about four “crucial turning points” or Churchillian “climacterics” in our country’s past that have forged and certified this American vision. These decisive events were the colonies declaration of our independence, the unifying power of the Civil War, the global power defining World War I, and finally the steadfastness at the beginning and end of the Cold War.
We have entered a time of the fifth cataclysmic event: The War on Terror. This flame is fanned by an ideology that stands in direct contrast to our American Dream of freedom, equality and democracy. Our response, like in the past is crucial to the preservation of these ideals and victory against our enemies.
Optimism, hope, courage, triumph, faith and love are important components to our victory. Freedom, equality and democracy are how these components are lived out in our lives and give evidence to this vital American Dream. My wife has reminded me on more than one occasion, that it is not the differences that make us amazing but that we continue to be united despite these differences.
Unity in the face of opposition is the loudest sound we can make. It trumps any partisan beliefs; any fears that seek to divide. It shows the courage and resolve necessary for victory. These are the times we live. There has never been a perfect generation; even the often touted “greatest generation” was flawed. Let our unity raise above our flaws in common pursuit of the American Dream.