President Joe Biden announced yesterday that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. In a subsequent post, he stated: “I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala [Harris] to be the nominee of our party this year.”
Mr. Biden’s monumental decisions were made closer to November than any previous incumbent who sought reelection and then left the race. What do they say about the health and future of our democracy and our nation?
“If angels were to govern men”
On one hand, we could see these announcements as a subversion of democracy.
Mr. Biden earned his party’s nomination through their electoral process. Those who pressured him to step down had no formal or legal power to remove him from the ticket. We could view their actions as unfair to him, to the delegates elected to nominate him, and to the larger process.
On the other hand, we could see this as democracy at work.
Leaders and donors in the Democratic Party continued to make their voices and concerns heard after the primaries were over. Mr. Biden then came to his decision in the belief that it was “in the best interest of my party and the country.”
Our Founders built our nation on the declaration that “all men are created equal,” including presidents and political leaders. This does not mean that humans are worthy of power but that none can be trusted with unaccountable authority. James Madison observed in Federalist No. 51:
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.
Costco is selling “the apocalypse bucket”
As Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan notes, we are living in “big history.”
Reflect for a moment on the crises we have faced in recent years: the worst pandemic in a century, mass riots in our streets, the most acrimonious presidential election in memory, the largest European conflict since World War II, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, and an attempted assassination of a former (and perhaps future) president.
Here’s a sign of the times: Costco is now selling an emergency dinner kit dubbed “the apocalypse bucket,” with ingredients that last twenty-five years.
But the darker the room, the more powerful the light. The chaos of our day is God’s invitation to trust and experience his providence so fully that we become catalysts for the moral and spiritual renewal our culture needs so desperately.
How can we do this most effectively?
One of my favorite places in the world
Over the weekend, I spent some time sitting on a bench beside a picturesque lake in our neighborhood. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. However, roofers were nailing shingles on a nearby house; the sounds of lawn crews and passing cars invaded the quiet; people walked or jogged on the path behind me.
To experience the serenity I sought, I had to block out everything else.
The key to experiencing the abundant life of Christ in a chaotic world is focusing on its Source. When John met the risen Christ on Patmos, he “fell at his feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17) and later wrote the Revelation. When Peter saw his omnipotence on display, he “fell down at Jesus’ knees” (Luke 5:8) and later preached the Pentecost sermon that birthed the Christian era.
When last were you awed by God?
When we genuinely experience Jesus, we can count on four results:
- We become an example of his transforming grace. Oswald Chambers noted: “The redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled his own life.” The closer we are to Jesus, the more we become like him (cf. Romans 8:29).
- We are used by God’s Spirit to draw others to our Lord. Our bodies are the temple of the Spirit as he continues the ministry of Jesus in the world today (1 Corinthians 3:16).
- We are emboldened to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Paul’s mandate to Titus becomes ours: “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15).
- We are led into our greatest kingdom impact. The same Spirit who called Paul to Macedonia calls us to the people and places where he can use us most fully (cf. Acts 16:9–10).
“Our church is not a building”
The historic sanctuary of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, was ravaged by fire Friday night, leaving what the Dallas Morning News called a “charred shell.” Standing in front of the revered structure, executive pastor Ben Lovvorn told reporters, “Our church is not a building.”
He was right.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, known to early tradition as a disciple of John the Apostle, wrote a letter on the way to his martyrdom in Rome in which he stated: “We should really live as Christians and not merely have the name.” Then he explained:
“Unbelievers bear the image of this world, and those who have faith with love bear the image of God the Father through Jesus Christ.”
Which “image” will you show the world today?
*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.
Quote for the day:
“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” —St. Francis of Assisi
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kevin Dietsch/Staff
Publish Date: July 22, 2024
Jim Denison, PhD, is a cultural theologian and the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries. Denison Ministries includes DenisonForum.org, First15.org, ChristianParenting.org, and FoundationsWithJanet.org. Jim speaks biblically into significant cultural issues at Denison Forum. He is the chief author of The Daily Article and has written more than 30 books, including The Coming Tsunami, the Biblical Insight to Tough Questions series, and The Fifth Great Awakening.
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
For more from the Denison Forum, please visit www.denisonforum.org.
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