"Let there be...."

Creation astounds.  The sheer power of "Let there be...." brought galaxies into existence.

https://www.bible.com/bible/111/GEN.1.NIV

That which astounds me in equal measure is how minstrels who gathered in a prior century produced a document which still stands as testament to the wisdom which God invests in man - if  man is  willing to draw from the deep resources offered from that very spirit of God which resides in the lives of those humble enough to seek His presence. 

I call this Illumination.  Because the first command which brought all into existence was, "Let there be light."  And in the presence of light, and not darkness, everything which flourishes on the earth - and  things yet undiscovered - were brought into harmony.

"Let there be!"  It was a might chorus.  "Let there be an American Constitution."   And  the more that I read and seek wisdom from this utterly delightful document - the more I comprehend how our Republic has firmly survived through a Civil War, two world wars, upheavals, and assaults from our enemies both foreign and domestic.  This American Constitution is not dry.  Far from it. And those who understand its history know that it was watered liberally with the thoughts of men.  

Our Constitution is a vine, more than it is a tree.  And this vine intertwines with our daily lives in such  subtle manner we can forget that debates, challenges, and advocacy for various elements to be included or discounted placed our Founding Fathers at odds with each other. These were not always gentlemanly disagreements. 

James Madison was pragmatic.  "If men were angels, no government would be necessary."  George Mason pushed back.  He wanted ample amendments to preserve the freedom of the citizens.  He asked, "Where is the barrier drawn between the government, and the rights of citizens?"

Thomas Jefferson mused that the Constitution be revised every nineteen years. He wanted each generation to legislate for its self. He worried about relevancy.  But it was many years later that President Woodrow Wilson made the observation that the Supreme Court functions as a "constitutional convention in continuous session."  I have a Constitutional law book which attests to the veracity of this thought. He got it right.

More and more -  I see our courts, albeit equal but separate from the other two branches - as the most important concept in the Constitution.  I have come to this realization in recent years, as I watch as sociopathic fools run for Congress. There seem to be more than usual today.  They claim to "legislate" for "We the People".  Tomorrow... next month... next year... another Congressional member will leave office for the usual reason: "To spend more time with my family."  We know  they spent too much time with their mistress, were too tuned into their off-shore accounts,  turned our pockets inside out, and steadily offered lucrative deals to the people that think just like them.  Pack animals, most of them.

But the courts? They are the stewards of our institutions. This is certainly more important than any momentary generational angst.  Questions and challenges to our institutions, our agencies, the levers of governance which benefit all of us, are eventually decided by the courts.  This is their domain.  The vine is a strong one.

So once again today - my gratitude for the men who started out with a simple "Let there be," to craft what is perhaps the most remarkable document in existence since the beginning of man's history.

Bloggers note:  Regarding what I believe.

It is of great interest to me how the verse below is translated into Spanish:

 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God."  John 1:1 (NIV)

In Spanish it reads: 

"En el principio era el Verbo, y el Verbo estaba con Dios, y el Verbo era Dios". 

The word "verbo" means verb - or an action word.

God spoke things into existence.  The rest of us?  We forget about the shadow of the Almighty.  And we forget how that shadow burst into illumination within the thoughts of our Founding Fathers.

I remain a Christian.  Nothing else, really makes sense.