OH, Mighty Tree…
Why has America, once so vibrant and prosperous… fallen so quickly?
As I reflected upon this question, a Mighty Oak Tree in front of me… provided the silent answer.
This Oak was glorious in its beauty. A canopy covering half the sky, with enough acorns on it to feed the entire forest. The branches so strong, that as it shed the weak ones, the animals would use the discarded limbs to build their homes. It was full of life… full of abundance.
Invisible to the naked eye, I also understood that this Mighty Oak had an even stronger root system, larger than the leaf canopy itself…. but hidden deep within the ground.
That root system is the lifeforce of that tree.
It’s all about the roots. Healthy roots lead to healthy branches. Healthy branches lead to good fruit. Good fruit leads to prosperity and brings forth… new life.
On the other hand, Weak roots lead to weak trees. Rotten roots lead to sick trees. And no roots lead to death.
The roots are what hold everything together. They unify, they strengthen… the many become one.
America is this tree.
The tiny seed of this Mighty American Oak took root in one of the most blessed and nourished soils in the World some 250 years ago.
The seed of freedom, nourished by its Judeo-Christian roots, grew rapidly and deeply in this soil. Individualism, Liberty and Family were its fertile ground. Its daily water came from God. And the light of God and his truths allowed the oak to grow upright… tall… and strong.
The tree came with simple instructions: care for the roots, and the tree will thrive. These instructions were grounded in common-sense principles—acknowledging that all people are created equal by God and have the right to life and liberty. People should not kill, steal, lie, or envy the blessings of others. Above all, they should remember that this tree, like our lives, is a gift from the Creator. We honor Him by being good stewards of the tree, its blessings, and by loving others as we love ourselves. The instructions are simple.
In time, that tree grew so strong… so vast, so huge, that every kind of bird, animal and man… found life, safety and freedom under its protection. And throughout its centuries of life, there were indeed harsh storms that had to be weathered. Disease, droughts, war would often require that this tree be fertilized by the blood of its patriots, and the sweat and tears of its caretakers. And thru these sacrifices and tears, the tree continued to grow, to flourish providing new life, new opportunities and Freedom for the caretaker’s children.
The Exploitation
And during the time the caretakers were maintaining this Tree, there were others, in other lands, who had killed their own trees… who now grew jealous of this tree. They wanted to share in its fruits, without having to do any of the work involved with growing it. All wanted the fruit… none wanted the sacrifices.
Even the children who were brought up under this tree, began to take this tree and its fruits for granted.
And in the darkness, they would come and plunder the tree, while the caretakers slept.
Like selfish Gluttons, they took its fruit to eat, taking more than they needed only to waste what was not consumed.
Then they stripped off its branches for profit and personal gain.
Soon the tree became sick. It could no longer provide the protection or resources that everyone needed. There was a debate amongst the caretakers on what to do. And while they argued, with the fruit and branches already exploited… the selfish, took advantage of the chaos and proceeded to attack the roots. They simply wanted to destroy that tree and everything it represented.
The first roots axed were the Judeo-Christian roots. Then they started hacking at the roots of American traditions, culture and history. The roots of Freedom and Liberty were bludgeoned by those looking for special rights, special privileges and control over the lives of others. They then poisoned the very ground of truth… that surrounded this mighty Oak… with counterfeit truths and distorted thinking. The simple idea that men can have babies shows the level of absurdity that had poisoned the sacred ground on which this tree grew.
This Mighty American Oak which had survived countless external threats and attacks, was now being destroyed from within. Soon, the Tree was near death.
If the caretakers did not act soon, it was all but certain, that the tree would succumb to the ferocious winds of the times… and fall.
And that is where we stand today.
The Tree’s final chapter has not been written… for we are its author. We are the caretakers.
Either we stop the butchering of this tree, the exploitation of this tree and restore its roots now… or we, like the tree, will soon perish.
6 years ago, I warned we were approaching “A Place… Where No One Wants to Be“.
We’re almost there.
