We Hold These Truths

Posted Jul 3, 11:22 AM by Kay Camenisch

I apologize that I’ve neglected my blog lately. Care-giving duties distracted me, then computer issues confronted me, and time kept moving. Meanwhile, so much time passed that I wasn’t sure how to get back on board. But I’m back and hope to be more faithful.

I was stirred to action today by a column in The Central Record, a local paper. Howard Coop spoke of the events that led up to the thirteen colonies seeking independence from England. He commented that we would not exist as a nation if a committee had not hammered out the Declaration of Independence to break our allegiance to Great Britain.

Mr. Coop said, “The heart of the Declaration of Independence is the clause, We hold these truths. The truths the framers of that document held were considered to be self-evident, that is, they were clearly apparent and needed no proof. These truths became the solid foundation of the new nation that came forth.”

Mr. Coop goes on to talk about the self-evident truths, such as all men are created equal and that there is a Creator, who endowed all people with certain unalienable rights. I finished reading the column, but my mind was distracted. I got stuck on the idea of self-evident truths.

I was impacted by the fact that we no longer hold any truths, much less hold them to be self-evident. The trend to let each person decide what is true for him or herself is eroding our foundation as a nation. How can we be a United States if we don’t agree on truth, and if we don’t hold any to be self-evident? If truth isn’t self-evident, what is? What are we united around? What is the glue that is holding us together?

I know it isn’t all bad. I also am well aware that there is a substantial remnant that not only holds truth to be self-evident, but is praying and working to shine light on that truth. Most importantly, I know that ultimately, Truth will triumph.

What struck me is that I get busy in my day-to-day life and forget that our nation is no longer united around self-evident truth. I forget to pray for our leaders and for those who are on the front lines in the fight for truth. I think that I’m not the only one lax in prayer. God said that if those called by His name would humble themselves and pray, that He would heal their land.

We are not showing signs of healing, and the need is greater than we can fix with programs. The election process is threatening to further widen the breach in our land. It’s time for God to move in our midst. If we want to remain the United States, we need to hold some truths to be self-evident.