62nd Edition
There was an interesting article recently in the WSJ by William Galston – “When a Nation Loses Its Confidence.” In the article Galston contends that “America and Israel have both experienced a series of setbacks leading to self-doubt.” He cites several causes of this loss of confidence, including the attacks on 9/11, ongoing wars in the Middle East, the financial crisis, the pandemic, racial strife, and political polarization. It is quite a list. Is it inclusive? Is something important missing? Let me try to answer those questions.
I think there are three additional causes of this crisis in confidence that Galston omitted. First, there has been a steady decline in the practice of religion in our country. Attendance, predominately at mainline denominations has been falling for decades. While the vast majority of people still believe in a higher power, many even say they are spiritual in some sense, but much fewer attend church regularly. And attending church regularly is different than being spiritual. Not better but different in important ways. First, attending a church involves relationships, commitment, and often active participation. Being spiritual, a good thing in itself, can be done individually or in isolation. In a healthy, thriving community both are necessary. As a community or as a country, being confident in the face of internal or external challenges is dependent upon a sense of togetherness, a realization of shared vulnerability and an acceptance of mutual responsibility.
Second, being actively involved at a church can foster deep, trusting relationships that we can rely on during challenging times. Sure, there are other ways to connect, but the church setting also brings in a different focus or foundation to each relationship. For Christians this would be expressed as being Christ-centered, or Spirit-filled. The point being, self-centeredness, isn’t the focal point, and when it isn’t, the entire relationship changes. That, in a nutshell, is why I believe the decline in religion and overall church attendance is part of our crisis of confidence. Isolation, polarization, and a pervasive lack of trust are all made worse when religion and church attendance decline.
Third, confidence, at any level, stems from knowing you can accomplish or overcome whatever challenges you face. And there is no short cut to obtaining that knowledge. How can a basketball player step to the foul line with the game on the line and be supremely confident he will make the clutch free throws? Easy, he knows because he has shot and made hundreds, even thousands of them in practice and in other games in his career. Mastering our craft, whatever that may be, leads to confidence. This requires relentless hard work, and a commitment to excellence. Coach Lombardi famously stated – “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.” Singular focus and relentless execution produce confidence. I don’t see much of that today. Instead I see a lot of multi-tasking, over-commitment, and short attention spans. Of course, there are still people who can focus and who work really hard, but it isn’t as pervasive as it needs to be for our country to have a sense of confidence in each other and in our country.
Fourth, we continue to be on a slippery slope of moral and ethical decay. We don’t expect nor are we committed to living lives of personal integrity. Sure there are exceptions, but it isn’t the overwhelming majority, and it needs to be. We are a polarized, litigious society, and I think it is slowly, but steadily getting worse. It’s really hard to be confident in the future in this context. No wonder young couples are deciding to have fewer children.
Galston ends his essay by discussing God’s providential role in human history… Then he ends with a remark attributed to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War – “The question isn’t whether God is on our side, but rather whether we are on God’s side.”
The point here is that throughout history man has gotten this mixed up. Religion, and even our understanding of God, has at times been weaponized. Wars have been fought, and are still being fought today, based on religious beliefs. Who wouldn’t want God to be on their side? But God isn’t on anyone’s side. As Lincoln knew and tried to explain, God is on His side. So, the eternal question for each of us is – Are we going to be on His side, too? How we answer that question, and then how we go about applying that answer is at the heart of human existence. In some ways, it can take more than a lifetime to fully understand. Thankfully, our Creator has infinite wisdom and patience. Moreover, his grace and love are freely given and everlasting. He is the foundation of all confidence in ourselves and in the future. Sounds like a team, His team, which is well worth joining.
Check out this book – “Life Lessons From Tom Taber” to read about confidence.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.