 Happy E Pluribus Unum Day! Well, this isn’t exactly a recognized day, but it should be. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, congress established a committee of three men to create an official seal for the newly formed country. John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, three of the five men to serve on the committee that produced the Declaration, were chosen for this task. The three men each had a different idea of what should be pictured on the seal. Adams wanted a portrayal of Hercules. On one hand, virtue is pointing to the rugged mountains persuading him to ascend. On the other hand, sloth is glancing at her flowery paths of pleasure attempting to seduce him into vice. Ultimately, Adams agreed this would be too complicated of a scene to be put on a seal. Franklin suggested a depiction of Moses lifting his staff over the Red Sea with Pharaoh in his chariot being overwhelmed by the waters with the motto: “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” Jefferson proposed the Israelites in the wilderness being led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Since the three men could not agree what should be on the seal, they solicited the help of an artist in Pennsylvania. However, Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson did agree on the motto: E Pluribus Unum - “Out of many, one.” The motto refers to the creation of America out of many states. It reminds us also that America is the great melting pot made up of people from all over the world coming together to form one great nation. Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson submitted their proposed seal to congress on August 20, 1776. Unlike the Declaration of Independence which congress loved, they did not like the seal submission; however, they did keep the motto: E Pluribus Unum. It would take a few more years and a few more committees before congress would finally agree upon our Great Seal, but the motto stuck from the beginning - out of many, one. Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson are the embodiment to the truth that not everything you set out to accomplish in life is going to be liked or received. Set out to accomplish it anyway. You never know what might stand the test or time. Happy E Pluribus Unum Day!
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 This past week Cindy and I rode the stretch of the Iron Belle Trail from Otter Lake to Millington. What a beautiful ride it was! If you have not had a chance to get your bikes out on that particular trail this summer, I encourage you to do it. There are fews things better than getting out in nature on a gorgeous Michigan summer day. The trail boasts a nice wide path and beautiful views of nature. This portion of the trail concludes at Millington schools. There is a large covered pavilion where one can sit in the shade and take a break. There we saw a plaque from the Millington Board of Education commemorating the original Glaza Elementary school in 1957. A portion of that 1957 dedication states the following: “We can truly say that this school building has a ‘sacred purpose.’ What more sacred thing is there than a human life? What greater trust do any of us have than the care of the children of this world? What finer investment can we make of our money than to use it for the sacred purpose of developing worthy, law abiding, and God fearing citizens? Our schools, homes, and churches share in this sacred purpose.” It is difficult to imagine a public school board of education acknowledging the sacred purpose of developing God fearing citizens. It is even more difficult to grasp schools and churches once working together in this sacred purpose. But, of course, that was 1957 when public schools were still allowed to acknowledge such things. In 1957 we actually believed schools, homes, and churches stood for the same values. There also hangs a plaque from 2015 commemorating the pavilion on the school grounds. A portion of the 2015 dedication states the following: “ . . . to help our young community members receive a solid foundation from which they would become successful students and citizens.” Do you see the difference in the verbiage from 1957 to 2015? In 60 years we have lost much in our language. Would you agree there is more purpose in being a worthy, law abiding, God fearing citizen than just being a successful student and citizen? When Samuel Adams encouraged patriots to unite their endeavors to renovate the age by educating their children in the Fear of the Lord, love of country, and art of self-government, the year was 1790. The constitution had just been ratified three years earlier, and yet Samuel Adams used the phrase, “renovate the age.” The word “renovate” means to “restore to the first state, or a good state.” I am surprised that Samuel Adams would feel like they needed to restore their age to a good state after having just written the Constitution. But somehow he felt like the teachings of the Fear of the Lord, love of country, and the art of self-government were slipping. Could it be that every generation needs to “renovate the age”? It was Reagan who said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” That obviously holds true for other things such as the Fear of the Lord, love of country, and the art of self-government. Reagan continued by saying if we do not fight to protect our freedom, “One day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” Have we reached the point in time where we are telling our children what it was like in the United States when people still feared the Lord, loved their country, and knew how to govern themselves? Let us instill these principles in the minds of our children. Let us guide their hearts in such a way that they become men and women who love the right things and desire to pursue those things with a Godly passion filled with skill and ability! Let us renovate the age together!
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AuthorWaterbrook Christian Academy Staff Archives
September 2023
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