America 250 and the Movement we need

“This is not a moment, it’s a movement.”
– lyrics from the song “My Shot” in the musical Hamilton.

Whenever I sit down to tap out a post for this Creation Justice blog, I like to believe I’m participating in a movement. Bending the ark of the moral universe toward justice for all God’s creation in this Anthropocene Epoch of Earth’s history and this anti-democracy, pro-Christian Nationalist movement in American history requires a Herculean effort. Being active in a counter-movement against these powerful destructive forces means lacing up one’s running shoes for the long haul. It is the difference between sprinting in a 50 yard dash and running an ultra marathon with no end in sight and no guarantee of finishing. It is work, not play, and it must be a labor of love.

The line from the historical musical Hamilton that begins this post emphasizes the importance of turning a specific event (moment) into a demanding, persistent long-term movement for change. In American history that musket shot heard round the world on April 19, 1775 was a moment that would ignite a revolutionary movement with the ultimate goal of independence from a tyrannical overlord. Likewise, in religious history the brief weekend of Good Friday through Easter Sunday was another moment in time that spawned a movement. It was first known as “The Way.” Its adherents saw commitment to the way of Jesus, the Christ, as the righteous path to independence, freedom from the forces of evil and empire.

This year, and specifically July 4, marks the 250^th anniversary of a revolutionary movement officially begun in 1776 with a declaration of independence from monarchy, a proclamation to establish an authentic democratic republic, a government that would combine elements of a direct democracy (rule by the people) and a republic (rule by law and representatives). Such a government would operate under a Constitution meant to limit the authority of the government and protect the individual rights of “We the People” while seeking the common good for all.

As has been stated before in these posts, upon the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia Benjamin Franklin was asked by a citizen (Elizabeth Willing Powel, wife of Mayor Samuel Powel) what kind of government we now have, a republic or a monarchy. His reply, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Franklin’s response was both witty and ominous, a cautionary reminder that a democratic republic requires well educated and discerning citizens who are vigilant to maintain its stability and prevent it from collapsing into an authoritarian monarchy or tyranny. The framers knew that authoritarianism was antithetical to a democratic republic in that it seeks dictatorial overreach to preserve power in the hands of the elite few, while rejecting political plurality, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law.

History, past and recent, has shown that the founders’ fears of a failed democracy were well founded. Their concerns over partisanship (party loyalty over common good), lack of civic knowledge (apathetic and misinformed public), foreign influence (outside interference and manipulation in democratic processes), government overreach (abuse of separation of powers) and distrust of government leading to apathy and unrest have all come home to roost as evidenced by our decaying democratic republic now facing its 250^th anniversary under a regime hell bent on destroying the last vestige of a noble experiment in self governance.

If we ever assumed that this form of government declared in 1776 and won in 1783 came with a lifetime guarantee, the rapid and intentional demolition of democracy under Project 2025 and the second MAGA regime along with the rise of heretical Christian Nationalism that supports and feeds off it has proven it to be a false assumption. It is a cruel and fickle finger of fate that has placed America’s semiquincentenial observance in the middle of an administration and majority party more corrupt, vain, vengeful and anti-democratic than any in the 250 year history of this nation.

As we observe the 250^th anniversary of the birth of a nation, we now know that the greater threat to the Union is not from a foreign enemy without, but from a domestic enemy within. It was true during a time in our history that spawned the Civil War, and it is true today in a time when our nation is as divided as it has been since that war. At such a dark and divisive time in our relatively young nation as we interpret our past and ponder our future, astute thinkers and commentators such as David Brooks are hoping, praying and calling for a mass movement to counter the tide of populist authoritarianism (both at home and abroad).

I leave you with an interview conducted by Mina Kim last year with Mr. Brooks. She begins with this opening statement:
“David Brooks, the longtime conservative turned Republican exile because of Trumpism, has said he’s not a movement guy. But in his new Atlantic cover story — and since last April, really, in The New York Times — Brooks has been calling for one: a mass movement, a national uprising strong enough to reverse what he calls a raging tide of authoritarian populism.”
Click HERE to read or listen to the full interview.

“Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it; and this I know, my lords: that where law ends, there tyranny begins.”
– William Pitt, Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister of Great Britain 1766-1768