A Tribute to THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN

(These thoughts are added to each Monday and Thursday)

The Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln is now upon us. All during 2009 there will be many national celebrations. Many secular historians will ignore or mute the spiritual nature of this 16th President of the United States. Therefore, some emphasis needs to be made as to the moral absolutes that drove the man and the sense of humor and sense of God that under girded his days.

A Tribute to THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Who was Lincoln, the man? All the hours he spent in church listening to sermons certainly had their influence. There is no record of his first heavenly appeal, but it is well established that he believed prayer is a conduit that reaches the heart of heaven.

His Godly upbringing and constant quoting of the scriptures throughout his life gave ample and potent proof that this was a man comfortable with the Almighty. How else could he say and mean, “He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.” Or “It is the duty of nations as well as men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God.”

When a president continues to think and speak this way, often commenting on sin and mercy more like a preacher than a politician, it is worth scrutinizing this element in his life. When Abe swore on the Bible to uphold the Constitution, the faith he brought with him helped him to honestly support the five reference to God found in the Declaration of Independence; supreme Lawmaker, Creator, Source of certain unalienable rights, world’s supreme Judge and Protector on whom we can rely. It is not that an atheist or agnostic could not pay lip service to these; it is just that an obvious lack of enthusiasm would make its mark.

It is not just that he mentioned prayers on such a regular basis, but how comfortable he was in doing it. “I invite the people of the United States…to invoke the influence of His Holy Spirit…” It is well to remember that the man behind this national proclamation also wrote that he had a solemn oath registered in heaven to finish his work. And why not? This, after all, was a man who at Gettysburg, with generals and other men of good counsel all around, still fell to his knees and thereby, found “sweet comfort” creeping into his soul.

As the Civil War continued he would say more than once, “My concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God’s side.” Was Lincoln, before he died, overly proud that he had so much to do with the preserving of the Union? It is more likely that he quoted once again words of one of his favorite poets, William Knox, “Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?”

This child of the wilderness had had no city lights to mute the stars or compete with moonlight. He had watched his own growing, side by side with all the other growing things in field and forest. It seemed natural to him to ponder that human life must be more of mind, and soul a reality.

Though six-foot four and weighing one hundred eighty-four pounds, Abraham Lincoln was never too big for his long legged britches. He was not overly impressed with himself, but always impressed by the works of the Almighty.

In his growing up he knew little of the thin two hundred square mile strip of civilization hugging the eastern coast. He would, of course, live and die there one day, this man who would travel so far from the wilderness to Washington. Would travel, but never alone, for his was a soul attuned to heaven.