The Heart of the Nation is Good, but our Soul is Rotten

Last updated on: November 7, 2024 at 9:02 am by Brad Thibodeaux

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The Heart of the Nation is Good, but our Soul is Rotten 2024-11-07T09:02:32-05:00 Brad Thibodeaux

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Rotten Fruit
Image by Pascal Bondis

In her concession speech, Harris claimed that the ideals of this country are at the heart and that they are “the ideals that reflect America at our best”. Unfortunately, our soul is rotten to the core.

Jesus said in Matt 7:17 that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree good fruit. Our tradition, through Paul, uses the fruit of the spirit to remind us what good fruit is. And the apostle John tells us that there is no fear in love. So while our ideals may be exemplary, we planted a corrupted seed that will not produce good fruit.

The Poisoned Seed

The seed of America begins with a bitter taste. This country is formed by colonialists from England coming across the ocean, claiming this land for themselves. These refugees (in the most liberal of definitions) came and stole land that was already inhabited. It was ‘manifest destiny’ that these settlers should take this land. The displacement for indigenous people from this land began early and continues today.

The land was then cultivated by enslaved Africans over the course of two centuries. Multiple generations of people never knew freedom because of the system built on this shore. This method of enslavement dehumanized people based on their physical traits, and this racism continues into today.

Finally, the Evangelical Christian has been poisoned throughout the 2oth century in America. Through greed and power, the Church was led astray by the allure of the world. Big business appealed to Christian ideals to win back support in the mid-20th century, and the Moral Majority in the later part of the century is the runway into modern White Christian Nationalism.

What Now?

Our Declaration of Independence sets forth lofty goals. However, these goals were marred at the start by the exclusion of women and the 3/5th Compromise. While intentions should be taken into account, we cannot gloss over these glaring issues in the formation of our country.

The nation’s intentions may have been good, but the execution has been rife with systemic evil. And we need to address these evils if we want to have a country that is ‘Jesus-centered’. We must find a way to ask for forgiveness and atone for the founding sins of colonialism, settlement, and enslavement. We must admit greed and power are the idols of our day and repent. Until that day comes, we will be a sick and poisoned tree – producing damaged fruit that is anti-Christ.

We have sold ourselves out for much less than 30 pieces of silver. The American Church has received the mark of the beast, and its number is MAGA.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, for we are sinners.

Brad is a graduate student at Northwind Theological Seminary studying theology and the changing religious landscape in America. He works as a co-investigator at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Pharmacy providing education and support for rural New Englanders impacted by the opioid epidemic. Brad spends nights and weekends playing in regional bands as a bassist, guitarist, and vocalist. When not at a computer, he loves to spend time with his wife and chasing his toddler around the house. You can go to his website to get updates on his writing and other events.