The Duty of Loyal Citizens - a Message for our Time (Pasche)
"Render, therefore, to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honor, to whom honor." Romans I3:7.
Loyalty to country requires constant readiness to serve. It calls for true allegiance, for willingness to sacrifice our own comfort for the good of the nation. Loyalty may mean a hero’s grave; but for every one called to die for his country a thousand are called to live for her. And living for her means obedience to her laws and support of every effort to make her laws better. It means resistance to every form of corruption. It means active effort to clear the national life of every obstacle to freedom of thought and conscience. The loyal man knows that in America all men are equal and that an attempt to make classes among us is an act of disloyalty. We can all have a better, a healthier, a happier, a more powerful America if we all stand and work together, all truly loyal to our flag.
Indeed, there is much necessity for such loyalty. We read that men stuff ballot-boxes, bribe judges and aldermen, buy legislatures, influence the Senate, and have even tried to assault the White House. All this strikes at the liberty guaranteed us by our Constitution. The excesses of strikers, the grasping greed of soulless corporations and trusts, with their iron heel on the poor, — this, too, has its vital germ in disloyalty.
Is there no remedy to heal the diseases and sores from which the body politic is now suffering so acutely? These ailments can not be cured by human ointments. Salvation for the nation can be expected only if into the minds and hearts of the rising generation are instilled the pure and simple principles of a true Bible Christianity. If we would help the State, we must begin with the family. But there is no other means of reforming the family than the Christian religion; when people once embrace that, then we may hope for improvement. It is the prime duty of loyal citizens to make their children citizens of the kingdom of God, to lead them to Jesus.
Prayer.
O Lord God, I beseech Thee to grant me grace not to take a dislike to my position of dependence wherein Thou hast, accord ing to Thy will and pleasure, placed me in this world. May I never become impatient and murmur against Thee because of it nor envy other people their superior station, but ever gladly and with my whole heart conform to this Thy will and walk as serving Thee, my God, in heaven, and not man. For Thy sake let me be loyal to the civil government, rendering to all members of it their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honor, to whom honor. Amen.
