Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton Hotel empire, spent money out of his own pocket to run the following prayer in many major American magazines on July 4th, 1952:
Our Father in heaven,
We pray that You save us from ourselves.
The world that You have made for us, to live in peace, we have made into an armed camp. We live in fear of war to come. We are afraid of “the terror that flies by night, and the arrow that flies by day, the pestilences that walks in darkness and the destruction that wastes at noon-day.” (Psalm 91)
We have turned from You to go our selfish way. We have broken Your commandments and denied Your truth. We have left Your altars to serve the false gods of money and pleasure and power.
Forgive us and help us.
Now, darkness gathers around us, and we are confused in all our counsels. Losing faith in You, we lose faith in ourselves.
Inspire us with wisdom, all of us of every color, race and creed, to use our wealth, our strength to help our brother, instead of destroying him. Help us to do Your will as it is done in heaven, and to be worthy of Your promise of peace on earth. Fill us with new faith, new strength and new courage, that we may win the Battle for Peace.
Be swift to save us, dear God, before the darkness falls.
Again, Hilton ran that ad in major American magazines in 1952. For many of us today, that period of time represents an era of nostalgic Americana we are striving to return to. Yet Hilton looked around at what seems to us an idyllic era and saw many of the exact same evils and threats to freedom we are wringing our hands about today.
There’s a lesson here.
American Christians like me are faced with a temptation to think shortsightedly that I don’t believe any other Christians in the history of Christendom ever had to deal with. That’s because as Americans, we are blessed with a level of prosperity, freedom, and mainstream acceptance – yes, even under President Obama – that no other era of Christians has ever had. This provides us the luxury of thinking primarily about the next election, the next fiscal quarter, or the next job review.
Before and outside America, Christians worldwide faced a level of persecution, pestilence, and oppression that compelled them to think long-term because otherwise, there was no hope.
I understand Obama represents an unprecedented lack of respect and agreement with the traditions and values that created American Exceptionalism. I also remember when we were told the same things about Bill Clinton and Michael Dukakis, too. The other side of this debate does not agree or understand American Exceptionalism; otherwise, they would support policies that support it. That will always be the case until we win the day, and that requires a long-term plan.
Part of that long-term plan is realizing that the battle isn’t over on Election Day but is just beginning. The other side has more diligence and perseverance. Whether they win or lose on November 6th, they will be right back in the fight on November 7th.
Will we do the same? Yes, Mitt Romney has more respect for American Exceptionalism than Obama, and he clearly has a better idea of how a real economy works. But given Obama’s failures, that’s not a tough threshold to clear.
Romney has shown repeatedly that, left on his own, he cannot be trusted, as have most Republican politicians who talk a good game on the campaign trail. We must do a better job of being diligent in holding their feet to the fire while in office, rather than spinning their failures as “not as bad as the other guy.” For once they’re in office, there is no “other guy,” for they are the ones taking the oath of office. Thus, responsibility for leadership falls on them alone. The past two election cycles, we have thankfully been willing to wield the ultimate weapon against the ruling class—the threat or realization of a primary. We have mounted casualties of spineless and untrustworthy Republicans around the country, and this trend must not only continue but be ratcheted up all the more. Politicians don’t see the light until they feel the heat; and no amount of blogging, broadcasting, or blasting impacts a politician as much as the threat of losing their job.
The price of liberty remains eternal vigilance. We must be willing to pay it; otherwise, Hilton’s prayer will be as sadly relevant 60 years from now for our children and grandchildren as it was for Hilton 60 years ago.
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Daniel I disagree with you somewhat, I don’t like Romney’s moderate to left leanings on some issues–even his speaking out for anti-2nd Amendment legislation passed during his time as Gov. of Mass. WE THE PEOPLE MUST HOLD HIS FEET TO THE FIRE–it is OUR duty to make sure he follows through with the principles and agenda WE VOTED HIM IN FOR! Have you seen many politicians who will stick strictly to the promises they made during a campaign or many who will even honor those promises?? Didn’t think so, too many citizens make their choices then politics is on back burner and they don’t participate anymore. I would trust Paul Ryan to keep Romney straight on Constitutional issues than I would Biden to even KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES ARE OR OWEbama TO ACTUALLY OBSERVE THEM! We have a CHOICE and ONLY TWO SELECTIONS–choose a radical muslim marxist who’s driven up DEBT by $6 TRILLION=51% INCREASE IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS, GIVE US THE FIRST TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICITS WITH $1 TRILLION IN DEFICIT SPENDING EVERY YEAR FOR 4 YEARS or we choose Romney, a professional businessman with 25 YEARS experience who’s created companies, saved companies from bankrutpcy, managed budgets at state government level successfully to create SURPLUS instead of deficits and sees America as a FREE ENTERPRISE, private sector driven economy that NEEDS GOVERNMENT OFF OUR BACKS AND OUT OF OUR WAY! ANY CHOICE BUT ROMNEY COULD SEND THIS COUNTRY OVER THE CLIFF OF GOVT. CONTROL AND COLLAPSE!! WE–hold the KEY to the direction Romney takes–remember, WE stopped Bush’s immigration AMNESTY, WE stopped Bush’s selection of Harriet Myers to U.S. Supreme Court–because HE respected wishes of the American people even as OWEbama has IGNORED CONSTITUTION, THE PEOPLE, AND THE PEOPLE’S OBJECTIONS to his agenda.
Not certain I understand or agree with what you’re saying. “A temptation to think shortsightedly” due to our prosperity? Not I. I think of presidential terms are the building blocks for the long term. I think many non-Christians voted in BHO in the short term thinking his time had come but I’m looking at Mittney as a two term president so long as he does what he says he’ll do. You’re comparing rock ‘n roll to rap. There is no comparison. Certainly, many thought rock ‘n roll was obscene, decadent and a sign of declining morals but rap and hip/hop is an outright call for misogeny, murder and mayhem. Maybe it’s political evolution like music but either way, it’s gotten bad and it will get much worse.
I have watched Romney for over two years, read all about him from many sources; yes, he is somewhat of a perfectionist and expects it back, making it hard on ordinary people, but isn’t that what we must have to get America pulled back from falling off this cliff of destruction of the dollar and our Federal Reserve Bank’s ways of handling things by Bernake? He is leaving, Hilary is leaving, several others in key positions are going out of the action! So we must get Romney and Ryan into place for at least 4 more years at this point! Remember President Obama, since President Truman, we’ve been reminded of his staunch belief: “The Buck Stops Here” sign on his desk; every President since then reminds himself of that responsibility! The Benghazi, Libya DISASTER is of your own doing and your own doom! Who is in Leadership here over Military, Administration? President Obama leads BUT IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH? HAS OBAMA BEEN BELIEVABLE IN THE PAST? I REST MY CASE!
“Romney has shown repeatedly that, left on his own, he cannot be trusted, as have most Republican politicians who talk a good game on the campaign trail.” WHAT IN THE HECK IS MEANT BY THIS IGNORANT STATEMENT? Yes, I know I am yelling. Mitt Romney is a good man who can be trusted. What has he done to make anyone think he can’t be trusted? Good Lord – we don’t want Obama for another 4 years. Our country will be in ruin. Our military will be nothing – weak – nothing. Obama wants to rule the world which he’ll do over my dead body.
Well, the Bible on the flag was impressive. Actually the Bible is the only thing that is allowed to be placed on the US Flag. The prayer was moving and certainly still timely. And then the article went off into total, “WTF?” not sure what the point was. But Romney is at least an American, and not a muslim. We know his history. And far as I know Ann has always been proud of her country. God help us. Anyone who votes for hussein after the Libya fiasco, is not really paying attention.
“Politicians don’t see the light until they feel the heat…” YES, Throw Obama out, but don’t sit back and think all is smooth sailing with Romney after he wins. He needs to feel the heat to follow through with his promises too!