Renegades Born in the USA

Last updated on: April 3, 2022 at 1:42 pm by Ben Witherington

Renegades Born in the USA 2022-02-02T14:06:11-05:00 Ben Witherington

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There was an old lp involving Tim Weisberg and Dan Fogelberg a long time ago. It was entitled Twin Brothers from Different Mothers. This book mighty have had that title, because as it turns out, there are a lot of similarities between President Obama, and Bruce Springsteen, in terms of their upbringing, their absentee fathers, there strong mothers, their finally finding a good life partner, their dedication to their families including their children, their great love of all sorts of music, and their eloquence of expression in their respective mediums of music or speeches. But there is also a shared deep deep love of America and its ideals, and a deep angst about how far short we keep falling from ‘one nation, under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for all’ or ‘all persons are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights’. The passion and personal nature of this book makes it a great read of about 300 pages (but about half of those are pictures), and reading this was an interesting supplement to having read Bruce’s biography (reviewed some years ago on this blog). One need not agree with all the political views expressed in this book (and I don’t) to appreciate the humanity of these two men, and their deep, deep concern for our country to live up to those ideals.

Part of the honesty that comes out in this book is about failures— failures to be the man they each wanted to be, failures to be as adequate a husband and parent as they longed to be while still profoundly loving their families, failure to convince people of some of the ideals they share in common, and much more. This is also very hopeful book, as they both still believe in some form of the American dream. It is a very patriotic book in various respects, but not without plenty of critical discussion about America’s many many flaws.

This book came out last October, and my son and daughter-in-law bequeathed it to me as a Christmas gift. I am so glad they did. I needed to be reminded of the lyrics to ‘The Rising’ or the speech Obama gave in Charleston at the funeral after the horrific murders of a pastor and various Bible study members by a young white man. Suffused throughout the book, and underlying various of the things said are Scriptures, truths from God’s Word. And this reminds me of what is most lacking in this book— namely a clear call to get back to making the main thing, the main thing— namely having a deep and profound faith in God and in his Son Jesus Christ. If there is to be a renewal in this country, it will require a genuine revival of Biblical faith. All other efforts at changing of laws or institutions or mere ideas will fall short of accomplishing what only a revival can accomplish— the renewal of the soul of America. Unless we truly become one nation under the only God there is, we will remain all too divisible, all too partisan, all too lacking in liberty and justice for all, including the unborn, who were also created equally in the image of God as those outside the womb.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 2, 2022

Jonathan Edwards and the Ongoing Crisis in the Methodist Church

Next Post

April 4, 2022 Biblical Ponies that You can Ride to Language Land

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz