I have learned that as I study new topics throughout my life, my mind is continually opened to more than I expected to learn. Common connections illuminate dark areas of mind in new ways. This happened today as I was studying about God's authority. Authority is based on expertise or power. God has both in an endless supply. The idea that shed light into a back closet of my mind, was the idea that authority can be transferred in small amounts to others. In the old movies, they used to deputize men to help the sheriff who had the full authority. That means that a small amount of authority has been given to them to fulfill a task for the one who has permanent authority. I thought about the meaning of that as a Christian and how I am a part of God's "posse," and I am sure I could write about that, but in light of the increase in news coverage of our government, a different train of thought left my station. All of my life, I have heard the words of our founding fathers about "E pluribus Unim" and government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." I hear "power to the people" shouted on the news at rallies and I have always believed that to be fundamental to our country. But today, when the idea of authority was introduced into the mix, a new illumination of what I already believed took place.
I am repelled by politicians who say, trust me or that they are doing something for our own good. I am watching laws being passed despite overwhelming votes of the people in the opposite direction. Why does this bother me so much? When I, as an American, am forced to accept something by a "government authority," I have to ask, what authority? In many countries, authority comes from military power, noble birth, or other source that the people have accepted or been forced to accept. NOT AMERICA. The authority in America, is unique. The authority in America is in every single person. We call this freedom. Authority comes from the bottom up. 60 million people with authority give a little bit of their authority to "deputies" that we call representatives. They are supposed to help us with the jobs of "forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, insuring the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." That is why "we the people" with authority ordained and established the constitution of the United States of America. When I hear our deputies speaking about taking the authority we have given them and using it to wield power over us, I know we have forgotten where their authority came from. It is time to "undeputize" some of them. In reality, we are responsible for the power we gave them, because our authority as "we the people" comes from a small piece of authority given to us from God himself. He gave us the freedom that became our authority as Americans. One nation, under God, with liberty...
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