Eight Devotional Meditations to Start a New Year

The New Year is still new enough for us to offer our “Happy New Year” greeting.  Who among us does not want 2024 to be a HAPPY year?  But in reality, many of us wonder if 2024 will be an extension of the “unhappy” issues of last year.  Let us hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.  

We have just published a blog entitled “Time to Wake Up!” [Click HERE.]  It is Part 2 of a series called, “Is Light Dimming and Darkness Winning?”  As a complement to that article, what follows below is a series of eight devotional meditations based on Isaiah Chapter 52.  We hope your reading, study, and prayer over each of these meditations will help to “awaken you” in mind, body, and spirit as you begin this New Year.

Day 1: “Our Lover Comes Calling: Wake Up!”
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 1
Background:  Isaiah 52 contains the prophet’s warning to Judah that if they continue in rebellion against God they will be taken into exile.  But because of God’s enduring, covenant love for His people, He couldn’t wait to tell them ahead of time that He would eventually set them free from His judgment.  God’s warning of judgment and promise of release after 70 years of captivity came through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29: 10-14).  What is more amazing, again before they were to be exiled, God consoles Judah through Isaiah exactly how they would be assisted in their migration from exile back to the Holy Land.  God would raise up the Persian King Cyrus who would conquer Babylon and set the Jewish exiles free (Isaiah 44: 28-45: 1; 2 Chronicles 36: 21-23).
Consider: Our Scripture verse for today finds Isaiah conveying what would be God’s “wake-up call” to the Jewish exiles in Babylon (yet future).  God comes like a lover beneath the window of the prison in which His beloved is still a sleeping captive above.  He calls out, “Awake, Awake, my beloved!  Put on thy strength!”  Isaiah had already proclaimed, Those who trust in the LORD will gain new strength (Isaiah 40: 31).  God also wants to free us from the slave master of sin. But, we must “wake up” and use the strength He gives us.  God also calls His beloved to clothe herself in royal and pure robes befitting of her position as His redeemed. 
Response:   God still calls out today to awaken people under sin’s captivity.  Maybe you have never been spiritually reborn or experienced freedom in Christ (John 3).  Or, perhaps you are born again but have neglected to yield to Christ’s call to be His disciple (a disciplined Christ-follower; see Luke 9: 23-25; John 8: 31-32) and to dress in His armor to walk as a new person in purity of heart and mind (Ephesians 6: 10ff; Colossians 3: 5-11).  How will you respond?

Day 2:
Loose Yourself from the Chains
[Listen to Hymn? Go HERE.]
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 2
Consider:  The Holy Spirit of God, our divine Lover calls out again, “Shake off the dust!”  Arise from the low position of dishonor.  Your time of captivity in sin, fear, and grief are over.  Rise up to a position of freedom and dignity in Christ.  Then, Isaiah continues:  Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.  But you say, I have no key!  How can I unlock the chains around my neck?  In the Gospel of John, we read of a man who had been ill for 38 years and had no one to help him into the supposedly healing waters of the Bethesda pool.  Jesus asked him, “Do you wish to get well?”  When the man said “Yes,” Jesus said, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”   Read the story in John 5: 1-9.
Response:   Maybe God is calling you, His beloved:  Get up, shake off every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles [you], and [then] run with endurance the race that is set before [you], fixing [your] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12: 1-2a).  Are there unnecessary encumbrances and sins that you need to “shake off,” or shackles from which you need to “loose yourself” so you can be free?  Learn how in 1 John 1: 9 and John 8: 31-34.

Day 3:  The Priceless Gift We Couldn’t Afford
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 3
Consider:  In yesterday’s meditation, we read of God’s call to the captives--“shake off the dust” and “loose yourself.”  God calls us to take responsibility to lay aside the encumbrances and sins that beset us.  Today’s Scripture, continues with God’s answer to those who may accuse Him of “selling out His people” for a ransom.   God’s reply:  You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed, but not with money.  In other words, “I did not sell you for a monetary gain or a ransom.  Instead, because you chose to abandon My commands, you sold yourselves into bondage for nothing.  But, because you are precious to Me, I will set you free, but not with money.”  This idea of “buying back without money” foreshadows our redemption through Christ as 1 Peter 1: 18-19 explains, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.…  The psalmist expresses a similar theme:
No man can by any means redeem his brother
    Or give to God a ransom for him—
For the redemption of his soul is costly,
    And he should cease trying forever— Psalm 49: 7-8
Response:   Devote time to meditate on these Scriptures with the Cross of Christ in your mind’s eye.  Our Savior-Redeemer ransomed us at a cost far beyond what money.  Instead of money, He gave His own life on a Roman cross to offer us Liberty and Everlasting Life.  How will this truth affect you today?

Day 4:  
A Holy God in Dark Places

Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 4-6
Consider:  Throughout the Bible, God the Holy Sovereign of the universe is repeatedly misjudged and His Name blasphemed.  In contrast, our history is one of continual rebellion against God.  Yet God is blamed and considered cruel and uncaring when people and nations suffer tragic losses, sometimes the consequences of their sin.  In today’s Scripture, we read how God’s Name was blasphemed when His Chosen people suffered under the exile of Assyria and Babylon because they trusted in their own power and not God’s.  Their captors “howled” while they asked, “Where is your God while you suffer here in bondage under our power?”  Today, some people prefer the God of the New Testament because He is much less violent and murderous than the “Old Testament God.”  But the New Testament reveals how Jesus as God in human flesh also faced scornful and blasphemous accusations: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them (Luke 15: 2)!”  But God does not remain silent in defense of His Name.  Speaking through Isaiah God declares,
Therefore My people shall know my name (52: 6)
… to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame (45: 23b-24).
Response:   Have you ever risked your name and reputation to help someone else while onlookers accused you of selfish motives or something worse?  Many of us know this experience.  We hope it comforts you (“brings you strength from God’s truth and love”) as you read throughout the Bible the story of God repeatedly going into dark places to rescue and redeem His beloved people.  And remember the dark day of the Cross where Jesus died and where God …made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.  Your sin, mine, and the sins of the world were laid upon the crucified Christ.  Pray for those who labor in "dark places" and often suffer greatly as a result.

Day 5:  God Our Deliverer and Comforter
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 9-10; Isaiah 52:13 to 53:1
Consider:  In Day 4, we honored the God who went into “dark places,” welcomed sinners, ate with them, and ultimately died for sinners.  God in Christ bore all of our sin on His Cross giving His life for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2: 14).  Written 700 years earlier, Isaiah’s words in verses 9-10 also praise God, exclaiming,
Break forth, shout joyfully together,
       You waste places of Jerusalem;
For the LORD has comforted His people,
       He has redeemed Jerusalem.
F.B. Meyer, referring to verse 10, writes, “Their Almighty Deliverer, throwing back the loose sleeve of His robe to leave His arm free, bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations,
that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God.
Response:  Pause in the quietness of your time in God’s presence and meditate on these Scriptures, including Isaiah 52: 13 to 53: 1, telling of your Deliverer and what He suffered in order to reach with his strong, holy arm to rescue you.  Then, “break forth” in praise to Him, our Deliverer and Comforter.

Day 6:  Go Forth in His Righteousness
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 1-2 and 52: 11
Consider:  Thank you for continuing in this series of devotional meditations.  In Day 1, our Scriptures from Isaiah 52: 1-2, shouted out, “Awake!  Awake!” This was a call through Isaiah to the (future) Israelite exiles in Babylon to awaken, rise up, shake off the dust, and unshackle themselves so they can enjoy and follow God in freedom.  Isaiah 52: 11 continues this challenge to the captives:
Depart, depart, go out from there,
    Touch nothing unclean;
 Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves,
    You who carry the vessels of the LORD.
These Scriptures remind us that; whereas, God is our Mighty Deliverer who paid the price that we could never pay to redeem us from the exile of sin, still we have the daily responsibility to walk in purity and integrity. 
Response:  Yesterday’s reference to Titus 2: 14 reminded us of the price and purpose of Christ’s Cross and deliverance.  Quietly meditate on the wider context of this passage  quoted below (Titus 2: 11-14).  Then, allow God’s Spirit to convict you in areas in which your life is not pure and pleasing to God and to strengthen you in the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return as you move forward in this New Year:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  

Day 7:  Look Ahead, Look Behind, Without Fear!
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 10-12
Consider:  Yesterday, Isaiah’s prophesy foretold the coming Israelite exile and eventual release from captivity.  He challenged them, and all of us today, to awaken, arise, shake off hindrances, unshackle ourselves from sin, and go forward in purity of heart and mind.  But Isaiah has another message for the future exiles; namely, they will not go forth from captivity in haste or in fear like fugitives as their ancestors had fled from Egypt centuries before (Exodus 12: 39).  Instead, declares Isaiah (v. 12): 

For the LORD will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Here Isaiah calls to mind how the Israelites had departed from captivity in Egypt centuries earlier.  They had followed God who went before them in a pillar of cloud during the daytime.  At night, it turned into a glowing pillar of fire (Exodus 13: 21).  And, when the escaping Israelites thought they were trapped between the sea and the pursuing Egyptians, the pillar moved around behind them and God became their “read guard” against their enemies.
Response:  As you begin this New Year, may this reminder that the LORD will go before you and also be your rear guard be fixed in your mind.  With the psalmist (Psalm 16: 8 ), may we each declare: 
I have set the LORD continually before me;
Realizing that 2024 will bring many challenges, but
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken…
Because the God of Israel will be [my] rear guard,”
I will not remain a captive of the sin and regrets of the past.
I will wake up, “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously,” and joyously in the New Year!

Day 8:  You Can’t Keep Quiet?  Good!
Scripture:  Isaiah 52: 7-12
Consider:  We had intended to write seven (7) daily devotional meditations to complete one week.  But because we believe God’s Spirit directed our thoughts and writing to add one more, we are adding one more.  We awakened this morning with the reminder that verses 7-12 of Isaiah 52 provide a fitting ending to the weeks-worth we had written.  Please read and re-read these verses which offer glorious praise to God who came and will come again to set the captives free.  The Pulpit Commentary interprets this passage as “A Vision of the Day of Deliverance:”
The prophet sees the messenger come bounding over the mountains of Judaea, to bring the news to Jerusalem that her deliverance is come (v. 7). The angelic watchers sing with joy (v. 8). The prophet calls upon the waste places of Jerusalem to do the same, and dwells on the greatness of the mercy wrought (vv. 9-10). Finally, he exhorts the exiles to avail themselves of the permission to [leave] Babylon… in peace, without hurry, under the guidance and protection of God (vv. 11-12).  
The commentary concludes that Jerusalem's deliverance is a foreshadowing of the future redemption of the world by Christ.  What a blessed hope for Christ’s redeemed followers to anticipate!
Response:  God’s proclamation in verses 5b and 6 describes the cruel mocking that God still receives, but then predicts the future day when all mocking will stop (emphasis added):  And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.  Therefore, my people will know my name; therefore, in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it.  Yes, it is I.
For all of us who have been awakened when we heard the Good News (Gospel) of Christ, have shaken off the shackles of our “works salvation,” and followed Christ out of our prison of sin, this should indeed be Good News we can’t keep to ourselves. 

How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
Yes, it is I.”

We hope the joyous exclamation of praise in verses 7-8 will resonate with your heart and motivate you to proclaim His salvation from day to day in 2024.  The eternal destiny of multitudes will depend upon it!  See also Isaiah 62: 6-7.   Click HERE to hear “For Zion’s Sake” by Marty Goetz.

Care to Comment?
If you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.  Maybe you would like to share a spiritual insight or recommend a devotional source.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail to silviusj@gmail.com

Maybe you are left with a sense of confusion, uncertainty, and even fear.  If you have never encountered the “Good News” or Gospel, let us help.   The “Good News” is summarized in an outline called “Steps to Peace with God” (Click HERE.).  It explains God’s love, our predicament (sin and separation from God), what Jesus has done to address our predicament, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God).  Let's commit to "wake up" and serve Him in this New Year!

Learning Lessons from the Pilgrims

In November, 2020 we will be celebrating the 400-year anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Harbor in what is now Massachusetts.  But why did the Pilgrims embark on this daring voyage from England via Holland to another continent?  As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, and then the quadricentennial anniversary in 2020, I wanted to be sure that I have the “Pilgrim story” correct. (See “Further Reading” below.)

Historians record that the Pilgrims left England for Holland in 1607 in pursuit of religious freedom from the Church of England.  Also known as separatists, the Pilgrims correctly believed that “the Church” had strayed from biblical Christianity in the years following the Protestant Reformation.  While religious freedom was their chief motive for leaving England, this does not explain why the Pilgrims left from Holland on the Mayflower, in 1620.  Robert Tracy McKenzie, professor of history and chair of the history department at Wheaton College, finds in the writings of William Bradford who later became governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony what I will consider to be three reasons the Pilgrims left Holland for North America.

First, the Pilgrim’s placed high priority on establishing godly families and a community patterned according to their understanding of biblical principles.  Hoping to accomplish this goal in Holland, they instead encountered a morally permissive Dutch culture that made it difficult for Pilgrim parents to raise their children with “due correction without reproof or reproach from their neighbors.”

Second, over half of the separatists that came to Holland had to become textile factory workers.  According to McKenzie, in place of the seasonal rhythms of farm life they had known in England, the Pilgrims faced the work of carding, spinning, or weaving in their own homes from dawn to dusk, six days a week, merely to keep body and soul together. Hunger and want had become their taskmaster.

Perhaps the Pilgrims might have tolerated the moral laxity and harsh economic conditions, were it not for what they saw as a third, more fundamental reason for leaving Holland.  They came to understand that the first two factors were becoming a threat to maintaining a vibrant Christian faith.  To these separatists, their daily walk of faith depended upon a cohesive faith community centered around strong families and church.  Therefore, we should call these committed Christians “Pilgrims” and “separatists” not because they separated geographically and sailed to an alien land.  Instead, the two names fit because their faith in God and His Word had led them to view themselves as “Pilgrims” and “separatists” from a world whose secular values were in opposition to their beliefs. 

Having left England for religious freedom, the Pilgrims found themselves in a Dutch culture that threatened to smother their lives of faith with the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things (Mark 4: 19).  Maybe their “second separation,” a separation that led them to cut their moorings from a permissive, materialistic culture of Holland and set sale on the Mayflower, was a greater challenge than separating from the Church of England.  Whatever the case, the Pilgrim story provides Americans today with a choice of two Thanksgiving narratives—and more broadly, two American narratives.

Professor McKenzie challenges Christians today not to seize on the first narrative as simply “ammunition for the culture wars” against an unbelieving culture that undervalues or despises “religious liberty.”  While I do not deny that Christ-followers have an important role in standing against threats to religious liberty, the institutions of marriage and family, and other freedoms under the U.S. Constitution, we must not ignore the second Pilgrim/American narrative.  As Christ-followers, we must not forget that we too are called in the power of the Holy Spirit to be “pilgrims in a foreign land” and as such to remember another battlefront—one within our own souls, as the Apostle Peter reminds early believers (emphasis mine):

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: who in time past were no people, but now are God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2: 9-12).

Providentially, the Cape Cod coastline provided safe harbor.

Here, I must admit that as I write, I am “preaching to myself.”  I find it much easier to be my own political and cultural warrior against materialism and moral laxness than to focus regularly on battling the thorns and thistles that tend to grow and thrive within my soul.  So easily, they can crowd out my priority of seeking the peace of God and the fellowship with His Holy Spirit through daily time in prayer and the Word of God.   John Winthrop who led 700 Puritan immigrants to New England and was instrumental in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1630, preached a sermon entitled, “A Model of Christian Charity (Love)” in which he emphasized the spiritual disciplines that promote inner virtues and war against our fleshly selfishness:

Whatsoever we did, or ought to have done, when we lived in England, the same must we do, and more also, where we go. That which the most in their churches maintain as truth in profession only, we must bring into familiar and constant practice; as in this duty of love, we must love brotherly without dissimulation, we must love one another with a pure heart fervently. We must bear one another’s burdens. We must not look only on our own things, but also on the things of our brethren. 

After challenging his Puritan listeners, Winthrop gives instruction and his vision for righteous living in community of Massachusetts Bay.  His message also challenges me to discipline my inner life so my words and actions will showcase Christ’s love in my marriage, family, church, and government (emphasis mine):

For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God, and all professors for God’s sake. We shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.

In summary, may I apply Winthrop’s challenge to all of us who choose to regard this year’s Thanksgiving as a holiday, or “holy day?”  In true “holy-day” spirit, we must direct our “thankfulness” to God, the only object worthy of our thanks—not to ourselves or our accomplishments, not to America or her cropland, forests, fisheries, mines; or great leaders and past heroes, as much as we ought to be thankful for all of these.  Our ultimate thanksgiving must be uplifted to the only Worthy Object of our thanks: Almighty God.

In giving our thanks to God, may we remember the “Pilgrim Fathers” and their costly commitments to separate not only from a church that was ruled by false doctrine, but from a materialistic and morally drifting culture that threatened the integrity of their marriages, families, and church.  But, most important of all is the lesson for us is in how Pilgrims believed and behaved.  They understood that their primary role was to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and not simply critics of politics and culture. 

In conclusion, Tracy McKinzie challenges us not to ignore the aspects of [the Pilgrim] story that might cast a light into our own hearts. They struggled with fundamental questions still relevant to us today: What is the true cost of discipleship? What must we sacrifice in pursuit of the kingdom? How can we “shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15) and keep ourselves “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27)? What sort of obligation do we owe our local churches, and how do we balance that duty with family commitments and individual desires? What does it look like to “seek first the kingdom of God” and can we really trust God to provide for all our other needs?  As Christians, these are crucial questions we need to revisit regularly. We might even consider discussing them with our families [during] our Thanksgiving celebrations.

Further Reading:
The following articles and two books are recommended as Thanksgiving readings:
Thanksgiving and Black Friday: Invitations to Develop Contentment (2011)
Remembering the “Yearning to Breathe Free” (2013, and edited recently for corrections)
Thanksgiving in a Watching World (2014)
How Do You P-R-A-Y This Thanksgiving? (2015)
McKenzie, Robert Tracy. 2013.  The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us…
Metaxas, Eric.  2012.  Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving.  Thomas Nelson.

“Public Servants” and Citizens--Both Stewards of Freedom

We are a nation that has a government—not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our Government has no power except that granted it by the people.
-- Ronald Reagan,  January 20, 1981

In his first inaugural address, President Reagan reminded us that government is to be a servant of the people.  That is, “civil servants” are to be “servants” of the people, and to exercise stewardship of the power granted to them.  At the same time, we as citizens have a responsibility as stewards of the freedom and opportunity afforded to us by our founders.   We exercise our stewardship by holding elected officials accountable as stewards of the privileges and responsibilities of their offices.  All of us are ultimately stewards of the rights endowed by our Creator.

On this Independence Day, 2011, one of my U.S. Senators from Ohio, Sen. Sherrod Brown, e-mailed a statement which prompted me to reply to him online.   His statement is below followed by my response to him:

Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago, farmers, merchants, laborers, and soldiers celebrated a new nation – fixed in freedom and equality. They faced tough odds, but they were armed with the vibrant American spirit and rock solid patriotism that has carried our nation forward since its founding.  – Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)

Senator Brown,

Thank you for your e-mail reminding us to celebrate Independence Day.  In your opening statement, you have emphasized two important ingredients that have been valued by Americans for centuries--"freedom and equality."  Please allow me to respond in the spirit of the Founding Fathers as expressed in the Declaration of Independence which states (emphasis mine)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.

The intent to our founders was to establish a nation in "freedom from" the tyranny of the King of England whose policies no longer respected individual freedoms.  To the Founding Fathers, "freedom" was based on "truths" that were "self-evident"; namely, that basic "rights" are "unalienable" and exist as an endowment from a Higher Power, not simply from man-made laws.   Based on this foundation, our Constitution encouraged individual initiative, entrepreneurial spirit, and investment in business and technology that has made possible a standard of living (including a health care system) unequaled in the world.

Senator Brown, you also used the word, "equality."  However, wouldn’t you agree that the Founding Fathers meant to give us a system of government that provides more than "equality?" Wasn’t their aim to assure "freedom" under the law so that each person would have "opportunity" for the "pursuit of happiness" as stewards of their individual abilities and opportunities?  The Founders understood what many of us have forgotten; namely, that each person is endowed genetically from his Creator and is nurtured by his environment (parents, family, and local community) to achieve at a given level in a vocation (or "calling") that fits his or her abilities. Not all can be doctors, or farmers, or NBA stars, or United States senators.   But as much as possible, each should have the opportunity to "earn" their way to a fulfilling way of life.

Yes, there are injustices in America today.  But these can be corrected by enforcement of the law, not by taking from those who have worked hard to gain an honest living and "giving" to those who have less as if to "create” equality.  This merely creates dependence and a dehumanized class of Americans that also happens to be a voting constituency for politicians who, like drug dealers, promise them another "fix" (at an ever increasing cost).   Those such as yourself who are in positions of power must steward that power by being protectors of individual freedom.  Government assistance is needed to meet acute needs, but government should also create an environment that constantly promotes individual self reliance.

As a U.S. Senator in our American culture that seems to have forgotten the importance of individual responsibility and initiative, you may soon have an opportunity to vote for or against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  In the spirit of offering “a fair share” of “affordable health coverage” to all Americans, this legislation fails on at least four counts. 

First, it is “unaffordable” by our nation which is already trillions of dollars in debt.  Second, as far as I can tell it does not provide health and nutritional incentives to Americans, many of whom have undisciplined lifestyles and eating habits.  Thus, it would require those of us who are individually responsible for a healthy lifestyle to subsidize those who make bad nutritional choices, or who unfairly take advantage of health care because it is “affordable.”

Third, it will further “shelter” health services from a “free market” environment wherein healthy competition could both improve quality of care and reduce costs.  However, if enacted, the proposed legislation would promote the same deterioration in health care that we have witnessed in our public educational system.  Can we not learn from the failed attempts of government-managed education as well as Social Security and Medicare (both deeply in debt)?   Government has been unable to “compete” with “free market” approaches to providing goods and services—whether it be transportation (recall Amtrack), postal service (U.S. Postal Service versus FedEx), or recent attempts at “green energy” in which taxpayer dollars were poorly invested (Solyndra).

Finally, it appears that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will further erode the doctor-patient relationship which has been historically crucial to the quality of health care in America.  As Ronald Reagan stated in a radio address, July 6, 1977, “…wouldn’t it violate everything we believe in to adopt a system based on the idea that the patients have a right to a doctor’s services without regard for his right to say how and on what terms those services will be delivered?”

And so, today, as my U.S. Senator and “public servant”, I invite you to join me in celebration of “freedom from tyranny” and celebration of the fact that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  I also commit to pray that you and your colleagues in the U.S. Senate will reexamine these principles and recommit to enacting legislation that will respect the limits of government and protect the rights of the individual and local community.  After all, human health in America has historically rested upon a Judeo-Christian moral code that has guided our families, communities, and institutions; and inspired our health care professionals who need the freedom from bureaucracy to provide for the health care needs of their patients.

Respectfully,

John Silvius
Cedarville, Ohio