America the Beautiful

America is big, very very big. It’s something you notice every time you travel. Or at least I do. This country is HUGE! Its varied, and contradictory, and frustrating, and enormous, and beautiful, and wonderful.

I was thinking about the federal government, and the state governments, and the local governments, and all the powers reserved for “the people.” How amazing is it that the founders of our country reserved and separated powers, instituted checks and balances, and bequeathed to us this marvelous government.

I know, I know, most of that was because they couldn’t agree with each other. Most of it came about because of compromise and concession. It wasn’t precisely planned. It wasn’t constructed with great care and finesse. It was cobbled together out of their disagreements and distrust and profound doubt in the motives and intentions of “the people.” Often referred to as “the rabble.”

And yet, our very strength comes from these same divisions, these very compromises, the distrust, the doubt.

Try to keep that in mind through this trying election season.