OPINION:
James Fenimore Cooper’s classic works about the American frontier, “The Leatherstocking Tales,” begin with the last work in the series, the prequel entitled “The Deerslayer” (1841). Amidst all the praise and criticism of Mr. Cooper’s tales, it was a simple observation made about “The Deerslayer” in 1923 that most aptly describes these tales: “The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted.”
The horrifying and deadly events of this past weekend’s political rally for former President Donald Trump are a terrifying reminder that our American soul is still a killer. It is in need of melting.
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Amidst all the exceptional things about America, we must not delude ourselves into thinking that bloodshed is not a wicked part of the American experiment. American history is replete with bloodshed. The events in Butler, Pennsylvania are a painful reminder that We the People are a broken Union, a broken Union that needs saving and healing.
We have become all too familiar and accepting of bloodshed. The killing of our neighbors has become commonplace. We too readily expect the killing of our enemies. And given the rise of suicides and medically assisted death in America, we are becoming more accepting with the killing of ourselves.
During this past weekend’s Sunday service at the church my family and I attend, the events of Butler, Pennsylvania were not even mentioned. It is as if they had never happened, as if American killing and bloodshed are so common that they are just banal parts of American life. Or perhaps such events are so painful, that not mentioning them serves as an anesthetic to the soul pain we all feel. We need healing not just numbing.
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Since the assassination attempt on former President Trump, political enemies, and combatants have all denounced the attempted killing of President Trump, the senseless killing of Corey Comperatore, and the life-threatening injuries to others at the rally. The evil acts of Mr. Trump’s would-be assassin have been described as “unAmerican” and as “undemocratic” with representatives of every political and ideological stripe stating that violence must “stop” and that Americans have always settled their differences with ballots not bullets. We all want this to be true. But our history and actions up until this weekend say otherwise. Yes, this must stop. But how do we make this stop?
I am convinced that American bloodlust – the hardening of the American soul into killer status – is not something that we can stop. No amount of calls for it to stop, and no therapeutic tweets or press conferences calling for civility will bring a cessation of hostilities. From the petty and divisive to our vindictive vendettas, Americans are so deeply polarized that we foster discussions filled with what Bloomberg recently called “exaggerations and lies that are then amplified via social media.” We all seem to be addicted to the destruction of others and ourselves, either via words or actions – violent or otherwise. We cannot save ourselves from our other- and self-destructiveness. We need the healing that only the Divine Almighty can give to us.
America is undergoing a spiritual crisis. We all know it. We all feel it. But we are afraid to say it because we fear public ridicule. It is time to be honest – we need a spiritual reawakening and revival to heal the deep wounds of our sins and wickedness as a people.
To begin, I urge and ask our Commander-in-Chief, President Biden, to do what past great American presidents have done: call for a national season of prayer to seek the forgiveness, healing, and favor of God. This is what George Washington did in 1783, what Abraham Lincoln did in 1863, and what Harry Truman did in 1952. We need God’s forgiveness and healing.
And this is what Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee recently did through signing a bill calling for 30 days of prayer and fasting in the Volunteer State beginning July 1, 2024. The bill asks residents of Tennessee “to seek God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee” and begins in the following uncanny manner: “WHEREAS, our State and Nation suffer from violence committed upon our citizens by our citizens.”
President Biden, please call our great nation to seek God’s hand of mercy and healing. To the governor of my state, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, please call the Great State of Michigan to seek God’s hand of mercy and healing. To the governors of all other states in our Union, please call on the residents of your states to seek God’s hand of mercy and healing.
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And may the call not suffice. May we all then pause in our places of work, in our places of service, in our universities, in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our capitols, in our places of worship and take much time to kneel, bow, repent from the hardness of our souls, and turn to God and to our neighbors.
It is this act of national repentance and prayer that will begin to heal our land and soften our souls. As we wait for our leaders to lead us in a time of spiritual revival, let’s not wait. Let’s each of us begin to seek God’s hand of mercy and healing on our lives and communities. Our future as a nation and people depends on it.
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Gerson Moreno-Riaño, Ph.D. is president of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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