Election, Revolution, or Reformation

Who Are We

Election, Revolution, or Reformation

Legal versus illegal

By Stephen L. Wilmeth

 

            Exactly 501 years ago last Wednesday, the Roman Catholic monk, Martin Luther, posted 95 Theses for debate on the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenburg. What was intended to bring attention to the alteration of the course of the doctrine of the church of Rome, resulted in Luther’s excommunication. The good monk was branded a traitor to the cause and tossed out. His conclusions of the church’s failings, however, had not been sudden or without great trepidation. He had struggled for years believing he was unworthy of God’s grace only to realize there was nothing he could do as a mere mortal to gain such standing. The law of the church was such a high bar that it simply could not be reached. Something beyond him and much more powerful had to prevail.

            Of course, what started with Luther’s mission became the Reformation that accomplished, in part, a return to a more singular, orthodox interpretation of scripture. Along the way, Luther taught us that our salvation is a function of three great gifts. We are saved by God’s Grace alone and that is offered only through Faith in our Lord. Further, Scripture is the archive of authority of our life in Him.

            It is from that archive alone we have the prerogative to seek truth … not from tradition or what someone interprets for us.

            Election, Revolution or Reformation

            As I stood looking across the Coldiron Pasture in the dawn of a new day, there was a sense of awe.

            The light was playing on the grass almost as if dancing through raindrops. As if I belonged to this modern world, I pulled my phone and took a picture. Before I looked at it, though, I knew it would not capture what I was seeing. Nothing could interpret it as I had seen it through eyes that had come to love this calling of stewardship.

            So, I filed the sensation and went about my day. What went along with me was the absolute belief that no one anywhere in that moment knew more about what I witnessed than me, the caretaker of this land. In that little snippet of realization is the basis of how I vote, and, because Tuesday is the national day of voting, it matters.

            The election is upon us.

            What a horror the process has been. It has come across as controversial, corrupted, and endless. It is an obscene spectacle of financial demands with losers and winners dividing the spoils. What is true is that there is no arbiter, nor will there be a master arbiter even in the form of its promised proxy, the vote tallies. It is a dogfight of repercussions and fewer folks are betting on a reasonable outcome.

            The likely outcome is the revolution will expand.

            States are defenseless. In the Texas senate race, over $100M has been raised to gain entrance to the winner’s circle and pad the spoils stash. Over 50% has come from out of state. The big end of that must be assumed to come from the nine counties in the nation that have eyes on the elimination of the Electoral College in order to gain control of, well, everything from my front pasture to your wallet and thought processes.

            Something has got to give because the collective leadership of our nation certainly demonstrates no such capability. The system has become a slippery legion of peril without definition. As Christians, we may continue to seek redemption, but, as citizens, the time has come of seeking Reformation for our country and system.

            As Luther proved, Reformation didn’t necessarily mean revolution, or if did, it was destined to be applied more precisely.

            Legal versus Illegal

            Isn’t it interesting there is so little discussion of legal immigration?

            Those are the folks who have stood in line, expended their own funds, and learned the rudimentary lessons of why we are Americans (as a sidebar, a review of the civics test that must be passed before citizenship is granted should be undertaken).

            The memory of our friend Joe, a native son of the Azores, is a case in point. The first time he ever saw snow was when he was flying into New York City on his journey that resulted in citizenship. He could speak no English. He learned to speak by watching television and diligent study. By the end of his second year in grade school in California, he had the second highest grade in his English class. What was so impressive was that it was not a second language or a remedial class. It was competitive.

            His view of illegal immigrants is epic. Joe not only succeeded he became one the great irrigation experts in the world. The last I knew of him he was the manager of the highly acclaimed Modesto Irrigation District.

            He wasn’t unique. In fact, every legal immigrant I have known demonstrates a great deal of disdain over their illegal counterparts. They have earned the right, they have demonstrated resilience and diligence, and they have become robust American citizens who have a much different perspective of their success. It’s also not a stretch to understand why illegal immigration is such a hot button. Data shows the majority of legal immigrants don’t vote like their illegal counterparts.

That certainly doesn’t do the liberal side of the revolution any favor.

            Who Are We

            In this post modern political age, half of America has no idea why we are Americans. Rather than relying on ourselves to assign success more than half have deferred to the state to chant their cause. It is there tradition and precedence have displaced the Constitution as the archive of record.

            Let’s just hope enough of us stand firm. Our country cannot recant anything since it is neither safe nor right to further corrupt the Constitution.

                Stephen L. Wilmeth is a rancher from southern New Mexico. “Let Our Reformation begin!”