A City upon a Hill

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

-- Matthew 5:14 (Jesus' Sermon on the Mount)

For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken...we shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God...We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us til we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.

-- John Winthrop ("A Model of Christian Charity", sermon to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1630)

The metaphor of a city on a hill has resonated through the ages. It was a central theme for Ronald Reagan, and earlier, John F. Kennedy. Jesus told us we are the light of the world, and 1600 years later a small band of Puritans gathered in a new world to try and build that city. In that spirit, American pioneers joined together to form a system of government that has shone its light into all the dark regions of the world, and given hope where there was none. American democracy sparked a new era, and the men and women who comprised it gave birth to a unique vision that has become the American Spirit. Though a closer look at our history reveals many flaws, and a hodgepodge (if you will) of mixed nationalities more likely to mistreat America's true natives than to inspire them, the flavor of America was uniquely present in each of its citizens.

Today's conditions make me very concerned for our precious democracy. We have a government completely at odds with the will of the people, and seem strangely powerless to shift its course away from wars. The politicization of justice, warantless wiretapping, fear tactics, lies, and much more, do little to make our beacon shine more brightly. Author Naomi Wolf stepped away from her mainstream media career to examine the pattern of these changes in a historical context, and her book, The End of America, is a frightening look at what it may mean. In England's The Guardian, Wolf summarized the book in an article called Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps. The article does a good job of explaining the "10 steps to close down democracy" described in the book with examples through history, and the chilling fact that all these steps have been already aggressively taken by Bush & Co.

I know it sounds like this is taking things too far, but without extrapolating conclusions as to what it all means, it's more than worthwhile to examine ourselves in the light of history, and especially compared to our city on the hill. We have been surrendering civil liberties at a very alarming rate, and hear nothing but lies and refusals to comment from the authorities in charge. It's not paranoia when you can prove it's actually happening.

Whether we're victims of an evil, nefarious plot, or simply unlucky enough to be ruled by incompetents, we have taken a turn down the hill, and the lights in our city appear to be fading, one by one. I think it's time for me to plead with you to turn back, and think about all we have lost, and may lose, as we descend.

We who reside on the land that stretches from ocean to ocean share the collective consciousness of the American Dream. There is no native birthright of race or creed, but a gathering together from every corner of our planet to see this light for ourselves, and hold it within our hearts. The Transmission of the Lamp of democracy is performed for all of us, a sacred trust to be passed to future generations. Other democracies exist, and hopefully, more will come into being, and they may be no better or worse than America's, but the special flavor, the individualism, the lofty dreams of American democracy are unique; once gone, it will never come again. Even if you think it's not in danger, don't you agree that its price is vigilance? If there is no anti-democratic intent, can we then retrace the steps we have taken in that direction?

Ronald Reagan spoke of the city in his 1984 Inaugural Address, and again in his farewell speech to the nation in 1989. But there was another part of that farewell address I found relevant, when he spoke of the essence of our democracy:

"We the people" tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. "We the people" are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free. This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I've tried to do these past eight years.

I had my differences with Ronald Reagan, and I'm not actually prepared to agree with him regarding his claims about his underlying motives. Ronald Reagan helped the rich before Bush did, and showed little understanding of other faiths and races, or real compassion for the less fortunate, during his lifetime. But the words themselves are notable, and convey my message as perfectly as I could hope. We tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. We say whether we should fight a war, or torture prisoners, or save a planet. We the people.

John F. Kennedy spoke in Massachusetts in 1961, not far from the bay where John Winthrop preached so long ago, as he prepared to depart for Washington to begin his presidency. He emphasized the city that "cannot be hid", as Jesus said, with the eyes of the world upon us to see how well we have honored our trust and shouldered the great responsibilities of our position. He reached much further back, as well, to Pericles who said "We do not imitate -- for we are a model to others."

So it is with America, that it's not enough to borrow and imitate the successful methods and programs of others; we must enlarge and revitalize them with American zeal. To achieve such a goal, Kennedy asked four questions we must answer if we can be equal to the task:

1. Are we courageous enough to face foes and, if need be, associates, when it is necessary for us to resist?


2. Do we have the judgment to face the future with understanding of the past, and to see, admit and correct our own mistakes?


3. Do we have the integrity to hold firm to principles without regard to ambition or financial gain?


4. Are we dedicated to the public good, without compromise to private obligation or aim?

Here is the recording of Kennedy's speech that day. It's in mp3 format, which is generally compatible, but bulky, and loads slowly. Let him speak to you for a moment across the years, and ask yourself what your personal answers would be to the questions he posed that day, and what you will do for that city upon a hill.