President Todd J. Williams’ Blog

Last week, I spoke in Chapel for Constitution Day here at PBU. Each fall we set aside a chapel service on or about the 17th of September to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Every year is a little different and this year I spoke on the Preamble. One particular phrase catches my eye each time I read it, "In order to form a more perfect union". It leaps out at me because it captures the intentionality of our founders and their purposeful approach to almost everything they undertook. (A lesson to be applied to today's culture.) But the phrase also catches their realistic view of the world. They intentionally did not say, "perfect union". They were wise enough to know perfection is unattainable, yet tenacious enough not to concede to mediocrity. They set forth a vision for the pursuit of excellence, the pursuit of perfection, and established a law of the land that would guide us to a "more perfect union". What is required though for this to succeed is an informed citizenry committed to protecting and preserving the ideals of liberty, justice, and unalienable rights by participating in the process of self governance. I stated in my talk last week that in the twentieth century we came to realize that human beings would exchange freedom for bread, or for security. It is my belief that in this new century we will be tempted to exchange freedom for freedom from the burden of democracy. We simply don't want to be bothered. Many recognize that apathy is rampant in American society. We can't accept this. Civic apathy, intellectual apathy, social apathy and even spiritual apathy are born of the same seed. As biblically-minded Christians, we must be "un-apathetic" citizens of our nations, this world, and heaven. The grace we have been shown, the love of God we have experienced, and the transforming power of the gospel in our lives should motivate us to care sincerely and act with responsibility. At PBU we talk a great deal about engagement. It is my prayer that everyone who is part of this community will take that talk seriously and live it out to the glory of God.