Better late than never! I’ve heard this saying bandied about
more often than ever before recently, and in reference to a wide variety of
things. I will not deny that the saying is true sometimes, but then again,
sometimes it’s not.
If we’re discussing going on a diet to shed a few pounds, or
going to the gym to get in shape, I suppose it is better late than never. If it
finally dawns on you that you might be in danger only after the wolves have
boxed you into a corner and are showing their fangs, the saying may do very
little for you at this juncture.
I wonder when it was that the average Roman citizen realized
the empire had crumbled? I wonder when it was that the average Roman citizen
realized that the empire was no more? I
wonder when it was that the average Roman citizen realized they would die at
the hands of those they had taken into their bosom?
History tells us by the time the average citizen realized it
the dye had been cast, and there was no turning the tide, but I still wonder
how long before the deathblow did it dawn on them that their choices had
brought them their inevitable demise.
As has been the case with the fall of every great empire, it
is certain some saw the writing on the wall far in advance, tried to warn and
sound the alarm, and were mocked and ridiculed for their efforts.
Self-destruct? Us? We are the great Roman Empire, and nothing
will topple us. Yes, we have grown soft, but it is our right. Yes, we have
opened our gates and welcomed in our midst those who would do us harm, but we
cannot live in fear. Yes, our governing class plots and schemes towards its
self-interest and is actively working against the will of the people, but we
are too busy with circus and bread to concern ourselves with such things. We are
the eternal city! We will never fall!
After the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a lady was
quoted as having asked Benjamin Franklin, “what have we got? A republic or a
monarchy?” To this, Benjamin Franklin simply replied, “a republic if you can
keep it.”
It was the selfsame Benjamin Franklin who said that the moral
and religious system which Jesus Christ transmitted to us is the best the world
has ever seen, or can see.
Undergirding it all is yet another Franklin quote which
profoundly states that only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.
To understand the peril this nation finds itself in, and
determine whether or not we are repeating the destructive ways of empires past,
we must come to terms with three undeniable truths:
1. We are no longer a virtuous people.
2. We have abandoned the moral and religious system which
Jesus Christ transmitted.
3. Too few are willing to stand for the republic in order to
keep it.
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment