FDR’s House

The Democratic National Convention is in full swing, so we turn to the words of a famous Democrat, set in stone at his D.C. memorial.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's House

It’s easy to forget our elected officials work for us. We hold them in high esteem, and rightly so. But this is a republic, not a monarchy or a dictatorship. We fought a war to establish that and several more wars to keep it that way.

Ours is a government for the people, by the people. And the President—Republican, Democrat, or other—lives in our house.

FDR quote from memorial
as seen at FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Why did Franklin Roosevelt say this? How do we preserve or ignore this idea today?

It appears I’m not the only one thinking about Roosevelt this week. Catch one of my favorite columnists Ross Douthat’s NYT post Franklin Delano Romney.

wednesday words to remember

Lincoln’s Dream

With the Republican National Convention underway, a quote from a famous Republican is apropos for Wednesday Words to Remember.

Abraham Lincoln quote: last best hope

I wonder if Abraham Lincoln was speaking of the freedoms and privileges we enjoy in America that many in the world still do not.

Liberty to vote for our leaders. To transfer power without war. To worship as we choose. To bear arms. To own property, pursue education, and start businesses.

When Lincoln was alive, liberty had not been fully realized by all Americans. Was he thinking of the great trial of his presidency, the Civil War?

Did he believe that preserving the Union meant the freedom of all Americans would be one day be realized and spread to other countries? It would appear that was the hope of his dream.

There’s another possibility.

A Hope that transcends personal and political freedom. I wonder if this Hope was also what Lincoln dreamed for America and for the world.

Why did Abraham Lincoln say this? Can America be the “last best hope of the earth” again?

wednesday words to remember

It’s Friday, but Sunday is Coming

No matter how bad things get or how recklessly people twist the Truth, the Gospel holds like an anchor in the storm.

it's Friday but Sunday is coming

Do you know the story of this phrase? Read parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Do you know why it happened? While the entire Bible answers that, Paul’s brutal and beautiful letter to the Romans gives an in-depth summary. Start with the first eight chapters.

Do you know what happens next? Check out chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians.

Spoiler alert: God wins.

There’s much more, but these are good places to begin.

What does this story mean to you today?
What Bible verses help you own it?

Sunday by Tree63 sets this phrase to music, presented here in a quirky video by Darryl Swart and Brent Lathrop. Love me some Nashville.

wednesday words to remember

Simple Gifts

Today we reflect on the virtue of simplicity through the words of the Shaker song Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett.

Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett

You may recognize the song’s familiar tune, a central motif in Aaron Copeland’s composition Appalachian Spring.

Brackett wrote Simple Gifts in 1848.
Is simplicity still a virtue today? How so?

wednesday words to remember