“We the people …”

I saw a commercial the other day for one of the news networks, where each of the news anchors started by saying, “We the people …” 

Their message – that, “We, the people of the United States,” must all work together to get through this pandemic.

What a glorious thought! I am grateful for all the positive messaging amidst this pandemic. God knew that our country needed some positive messaging, like “America Together” and “We are in this together.” 

Commercials with well-known Christian leaders sharing the truth about Jesus Christ and offering a toll-free number where people can call for prayer. Numerous stories of people coming together to help their fellow Americans. 

And upon seeing all of this, I couldn’t help but wonder why it takes enormous hardships in life sometimes to bring out the highest virtues in Man?

Why must we go through extreme difficulties as a nation, in order to come together as a people? Many insist on wielding petty weapons of accusation, slander and prejudice against their fellow Americans in times of peace and prosperity, but exchange them immediately for the collective weapons of solidarity, goodwill, and unity the moment we are assailed as a nation?

It appears that peace, affluence and comfort breed animosity and disunity, while trials and tribulations bring about unification and altruism.

I read somewhere that trees need strong winds to blow against them as they grow, to strengthen their root system. The adverse conditions of the strong winds make the roots go deeper into the soil, which ultimately makes the tree stronger and taller in the end.

It has been said, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” As humans, we, too, seem to be made stronger by adverse conditions, trials, and challenges. On the other hand, too much comfort and ease can be the ruin of even the best of us. 

We’ve all heard it said, “Comfort is the enemy of progress.” 

I see this as the dichotomy of human nature. We seek, and even desire, those things that can bring about our demise – comfort, ease and pleasure, yet, we try with all our might to avoid the very things – difficulties and challenges that can ultimately bring out the best in ourselves.

Unfortunately, not much has changed in human nature since the beginning of time. Throughout the Bible, we see story after story of the people of God turning away from God during times of great blessings, taking their eyes off God, the source of their blessings, and focusing instead on their own perceived self-sufficiency. 

This behavior always led them further and further away from God and into the worship of other gods like – self, pleasure, prosperity and even foreign gods. Eventually, God would send trials and tribulations to bring them back to Him – the one true God.

My hope amid this current worldwide tribulation is that “We the People of the United States,” in order to form a more perfect union and to get through this pandemic together, would re-establish justice in doing what is right in the sight of God and our fellow man. 

That we would do our part to insure domestic tranquility as we walk through these daunting and uncertain times together. 

That we would provide, as we are each able, for the common defense against this current enemy that has our country and the entire world under siege and that we would do our part to promote the general welfare of our fellow countrymen and women. 

That we would put into practice the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Matthew 7:12) 

And that we would help secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity by doing the most important thing we can do – pray for each other and our country as a whole.

In light of the current worldwide pandemic, I can’t help but think of two verses found in the book of Second Chronicles. In speaking to King Solomon, God said, “When I … send a plague among my people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

Just as the adverse winds against the tree cause the roots to go lower into the ground, we, as a people, need to go lower to the ground, on our knees and pray, so that when the adverse winds of this pandemic have passed us over, “We, the people of the United States,” will be made stronger and will stand a little taller in the end.

Lisa Hannan lives in Valdosta with her husband, attorney Miles Hannan, who has been practicing law in Valdosta for over 30 years. She has a B.S. in psychology from Valdosta State University. You can find her at www.lisahannan.org.