On Tuesday evening, my family gathered for several hours and watched as election results came in, both in the national and local elections. Thousands of other Americans were doing the same thing, hoping for governmental power to be entrusted to individuals who they could trust to protect their freedom and liberty. Some were pleased with the outcomes, some were concerned, and probably most people experienced a combination of satisfaction and disappointment.
The outcome of elections does have a significant impact on our lives. Elections help to shape our future for good or bad. Over the past year, thousands and thousands of hours have been invested in campaigning for individuals and propositions that would be on the ballot. Now that the voting is complete, what is the role of the citizen? Do we simply wait for the next election to roll around?
Hopefully not! Regardless of who is in office, our national and state constitutions provide rules that elected officials must follow. If we know what the rules are, we can be active in watching over our elected officials and holding up a red flag when they begin to step out of bounds or ignore the rules. It seems like a lot of work, though. Why should we invest the time and effort?
Today, I would like to share a few stories with you to remind us all of why the effort to protect liberty is worth our time and attention, not just when elections happen, but every day of the year. We will begin by traveling back in time to England in the sixteenth century.
The day was April 4, 1519. The place is Coventry, England. Six fathers and one mother were forced along a path to Little Park, where stakes were set in the ground amidst piles of sticks and bundles of straw. These seven parents, including a widow and 3 shoemakers, were burned at the stake, convicted by the forced testimony of their own children. What was the nature of their children’s testimony? It was a few simple, memorized words. The children were forced to recite the Lord’s Prayer in English, which they had been taught by their parents. The language of the common people was English, but having or teaching any part of the Bible in the people’s mother tongue was a crime considered worthy of death. The Bible reads, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” but these people were forbidden from personally accessing the truths taught in scripture. Daring to defy that law resulted in the death of seven parents.
Next, we visit China during the Cultural Revolution. A young girl, Ji-li Jiang was a hard working student, eager to please. She eagerly participated as the leaders in her country told her that they were bringing about a new age, an age in which everything would be better. Over time, however, she saw things that disturbed her. She saw older men and women, whom she had always been taught to honor and respect, being mocked and beaten in the streets. She saw people’s homes being searched and their property being stolen. One day, she was shocked to realize that her parents were concerned that her home is on the list to be ransacked. And, indeed, her property was destroyed and stolen as she cowered in fear. Over time, Ji-li faced many more hardships, but in the end, she learned a valuable lesson. She learned that her family was a priceless treasure and that she could decide for herself what was true.
Both of these stories are sad, but both remind us to not take the precious gifts of liberty and freedom for granted. They remind us that it is much easier to protect liberty than it is to reclaim it once it is lost. May we be vigilant in protecting the liberty that has been given to us as a gift from God, both by keeping a careful eye on our elected officials and by paying close attention to the foundations of liberty - religion and morality.
