A Man for the Season

We tend to be a little behind the times in watching new movies, but we finally caught up with Lincoln while we were on vacation. It really was a superb film. Daniel Day Lewis richly deserved his Oscar for his portrayal of our 16th President - it was a stellar performance. Watching it brought to mind a couple of thoughts.

The first was how deficient we are in this country in men and women of character in political office, especially high political office. Lincoln and others like George Washington always tried to do what was best for the nation. Instead, our politicians claw and scrape for narrow political advantage solely for the sake of power, prestige and all too often cash. Proverbs 29:18 says that without vision the people perish and that seems to be precisely where the United States is heading and for that very reason. We have been blessed historically with men of character but it appears that may be ending and I fear for the Republic. 

Secondly, although Lincoln was clearly a man of towering character and strength, from my previous reading about him I thought the movie underplayed the role of his Christian faith in developing and sustaining his character through very difficult circumstances, although there were several allusions to the source of his strength. As an example of Lincoln's faith, consider the following:

"I am glad of this interview, and glad to know that I have your sympathy and prayers. We are indeed going through a great trial -- a fiery trial. In the very responsible position in which I happen to be placed, being a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father, as I am, and as we all are, to work out his great purposes, I have desired that all my works and acts may be according to his will, and that it might be so, I have sought his aid -- but if after endeavoring to do my best in the light which he affords me, I find my efforts fail, I must believe that for some purpose unknown to me, He wills it otherwise. If I had had my way, this war would never have been commenced; If I had been allowed my way this war would have been ended before this, but we find it still continues; and we must believe that He permits it for some wise purpose of his own, mysterious and unknown to us; and though with our limited understandings we may not be able to comprehend it, yet we cannot but believe, that he who made the world still governs it."
Reply to Eliza Gurney on October 26, 1862

A more in-depth article gives a better look at how President Lincoln's faith developed.www.wnd.com/2013/08/debate-over-abraham-lincolns-faith-resolved/
In any event, the historical record seems quite clear that faith in God was at the core of Abraham Lincoln the politician and this saw him - and this nation - through the crucible of the Civil War.

My final musing was how badly we need men and women of such faith as leaders today, at all levels of our society from the President on down. Every country has a unique national character that flows from its people. America has always had a national character that embraced optimism, a can-do spirit, a welcoming disposition and a determination to see things through when the times were tough. As de Tocqueville testified, it flowed from our religious nature which was very unlike Europe. That is changing for the worse because we are a people that is turning away from God. My generation sadly has contributed in a major way to this trend. My hope is that the generations of Americans behind mine will rediscover a faith in God and stand up and apply that faith in the public square wherever they live. That is America's only hope. We need many more Abraham Lincolns if we are going to survive as a nation. You may be one of them.