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During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Ben Franklin--no overtly religious man himself--asked for the floor, and, addressing George Washington, offered one of the most remarkable observations in American history:

"In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings?

In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered.

All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence, we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance?

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: we shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and byword down to future ages.

And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service."

Was he asking for God to be "separated" from America?  It doesn't sound like it to me.  It sounds like just the opposite.  It's reported that 87% of the American people believe in God.  Why is it then 13% can dictate to us, through appointed liberal judges, that we must separate God from the public forum?  Notwithstanding ONE comment in ONE letter from Thomas Jefferson, his reference to a "separation of church and state", there is absolutely no reference to this separation in the US Constitution or ANY papers written by ANY of the Founding Fathers.  Even Thomas Paine, a reported atheist, vocalized his belief that God was an absolute necessity to the success of the United States.

On the east face of the Washington Monument, there is an inscription that reads "Laus Deo."  The Latin phrase means "Praise Be To God."  If you look out from that vantage point, you can see the city of Washington D.C. as designed by Pierre Charles l'Enfant.  What you will see is a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape. 

Was it a secular hand that guided l'Enfant?  Or just chance?

God was instrumental in the formation of America and our Founding Fathers recognized that truth.  From its inception, His hand has guided us through the best and worst of times.  He seems to always show up when we need Him.  But one of these days He may tire of our neglect and the separation we have so obediently acquiesced to.

What will we do when He separates Himself from us?

"Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return"

The 'Tin Man'

"I thought I had beaten the Wicked Witch then, and I worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my enemy could be. She thought of a new way to kill my love for the beautiful Munchkin maiden, and made my axe slip again, so that it cut right through my body, splitting me into two halves. Once more the tinsmith came to my help and made me a body of tin, fastening my tin arms and legs and head to it, by means of joints, so that I could move around as well as ever. But, alas! I had now no heart, so that I lost all my love for the Munchkin girl, and did not care whether I married her or not. I suppose she is still living with the old woman, waiting for me to come after her.

"My body shone so brightly in the sun that I felt very proud of it and it did not matter now if my axe slipped, for it could not cut me. There was only one danger--that my joints would rust; but I kept an oil-can in my cottage and took care to oil myself whenever I needed it. However, there came a day when I forgot to do this, and, being caught in a rainstorm, before I thought of the danger my joints had rusted, and I was left to stand in the woods until you came to help me. It was a terrible thing to undergo, but during the year I stood there I had time to think that the greatest loss I had known was the loss of my heart. While I was in love I was the happiest man on earth; but no one can love who has not a heart, and so I am resolved to ask Oz to give me one. If he does, I will go back to the Munchkin maiden and marry her."

Both Dorothy and the Scarecrow had been greatly interested in the story of the Tin Woodman, and now they knew why he was so anxious to get a new heart.

"All the same," said the Scarecrow, "I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one."

"I shall take the heart," returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world." Source

The back-story on L. Frank Baum's tin woodsman egregiously absent from the movie, is a vivid reminder to us all to:  NOT LOOSE HEART. I was reminded of this when some friends and I were discussing a chapter in John Eldredge's book:  Waking the Dead. 

With the ongoing crush of bad economic news, discouraging political machinations like the 'Porkulus bill', and outright fraud and deceit in nearly every corner of public life, it is easy to become habituated to the demoralizing consequences of our post-modern life and be lessened by it.  Wave after wave, it pounds and we become hollow, mechanical, and like the tin man, our capacity for humanness is reduced.

And it is to that battle that we are currently called: To stand on the ramparts of our own life and push back against all who would willingly "steal our joy".  Speak loudly against those who gladly diminish our humanity and shout to the heavens that while we yet breath we have do have faith!

From there, we can crawl back to life, heal our wounded spirits,  and stand ready at the parapet with a stout heart prepared for the hard tasks ahead. Our future depends on it, our children's future depends on it. Our way of life depends on it.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Isaac Watts / George Frederick Handel

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiance, who was obviously pregnant by this time.
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.


The Shepherds and Angels

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God:


    "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
        and peace on earth to all whom God favors."

(NLT Luke 2 1-14)