The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith: What I believe about America

I believe you should stand for the "Star-Spangled Banner," put your hand over your heart and sing when our national anthem is played. I believe you should know the words of the Pledge of Allegiance and say them proudly.

I believe the ideals of freedom, liberty and self-government still shine. I believe our forefathers saw these ideals as worthy goals but they had not yet been seen for all people and all races. That would take time and war and protests and tragedies.

I believe our country is worth fighting for. I salute the bravery of our armed forces who stand in the gap on our behalf. I admire the willingness of policemen who are on the frontline of our laws. Our court system is far from perfect, but I would rather stand trial in these United States than in any other country in the world. I read history, and I respect those who marched for racial justice, and in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., decreed "that they should be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin."

I believe the history of our country bears stains we must notice. People of color should never have been sold as property. Native Americans should never have been forced to relocate. My Seminole Indian ancestors should never have been forced to hide in the Everglades. The Civil War should not have been fought. Jim Crow laws should never have been passed.

I believe our Constitution and our system of government should be celebrated. Our Constitution is not perfect, but what makes it unique is we have lived under its structure for almost 240 years. Our Constitution reminds us we are not a democracy but a republic, a nation with laws. We do not change course just because the wind changes. We think and deliberate before we change our laws.

I believe God blessed these United States with amazing leaders. George Washington could have been king but was humble enough to relinquish power. Thomas Jefferson, a man of great intellect and moral blindness, still could see a vision of ideals and embrace a bigger future for America. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, friends and enemies, could write a Constitution and persuade thousands of the need for change. Abraham Lincoln could see "a house divided against itself cannot long stand," and with an iron will, preserved the Union. Teddy Roosevelt saw the danger of big business and refused to let business dictate to government. Franklin Roosevelt was willing to try anything to get us out of a Depression that threatened to wipe out our country. Then, he pulled America out of isolation. The list goes on.

I believe God has a purpose for our country. The great sweep of history is God never blesses a group of people simply for their comfort. God's blessings are for a reason. Like Abraham of old, we are blessed to be a blessing to the world. America is her best when she serves.

I believe our nation can rise to the occasion. We have, again and again. When attacked, we fight. When a crisis occurs within our borders, we respond. I have been told that no other people in the world volunteer like Americans. Show us the need, and we say, "What can we do?"

I believe America is not forever. The great empires of the past - Persian, Egyptian, Roman, Mongolian - all had their day. Why did they not last? Usually, it was pride. There was a belief in each of those empires that they were strong enough that they no longer needed to be on their guard "from all enemies, foreign or domestic." It is said, "Pride goeth before the fall." When I look around, I am concerned that our pride causes us to forget how fragile a nation is.

I believe America is divided. I recently heard a speaker say, "Problems are not solved at the extremes. Problems are solved in the middle." The Constitution was a compromise document. Most of our laws are compromises. But now, we do not want to compromise. Instead, we listen to media that tells us we are right in our viewpoints and that the people on the other side are evil. As a Christian, this bothers me. First, I believe in the total depravity of man. Everyone is evil, Republicans and Democrats and Socialists and Independents. Second, none of us can govern perfectly or make perfect laws. What if we came together and just admitted this and then tried the best we could to meet in the middle?

Finally, I believe there is hope for America. How do you change a nation? You change a community. How do you change a community? Change an individual. How do you change an individual? You change their heart. Who can do that? Jesus.

So how do you change a nation? Jesus.

The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith is the lead pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter. Email him at claysmith@adbc.org.