Back when I was in elementary school in the early 60’s, we started the day with pledging allegiance to the American flag, that is, except for a Muslim kid whose family were members of the Nation of Islam. Although I didn’t like the kid, I was impressed with his ability to go against the grain and take a stand, by himself.  

As I grew older and more insightful, I found reasons to ask if we were really one nation and was that nation truly living under submission to God? And should I, especially as a Christian, pledge my allegiance to a flag when it actually belonged to my Creator. It seemed to me that the answer to these questions was a resounding NO!

No, we were NOT living as one nation when we were still fighting for human rights as people of color, let alone civil rights. And no, we were NOT living in obedience to a God who created all of mankind in His own image, while discriminating against people who were not members of the “white only” club. And no, if my Christian allegiance is pledged to God foremost and above all else, then why would I contradict that by pledging it to anything far less in greatness.

This especially made sense to me when soldiers of color, Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native, loved America so much that they were willing to fight and die for her in Vietnam, when she showed them no love in return.

We were and are, a divided nation which can’t seem to get on the same beat.

In 1978 Parliament Funkadelic AKA P-Funk, came out with the hit single “One Nation Under a Groove.” It was a play on that faulty pledge of allegiance to the American flag which claimed that we were one nation under God.

However, we never reached that collective mindset, and the nation seems to be growing further apart these days rather than drawing closer together. We just can’t seem to find the beat, can’t get down on the one which we (claim to) believe in.    

It’s like the folks that clap on 1 and 3 instead of 2 and 4. The ones that mess up the electric slide because they can’t catch the rhythm.

CRT – 1 and 3.

Pushing back against voter rights, despite lacking any significant evidence for voter fraud – 1 and 3.

The fear-driven Replacement conspiracy theory – 1 and 3.

Trump cultism – 1 and 3.

It begs the question will we ever find the beat as one nation? Will we ever be able to dance together and get in step? 

The struggle is to insist that America live up to its Constitution of liberty and justice for ALL, to cash the check Dr. King referenced during the March on Washington in 1963. “We have come to collect a check marked insufficient funds.”

A Constitution penned by one of America’s “Founding Fathers,” Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson the slave “owner.” Thomas Jefferson the nation’s 3^rd President and discovered pedophile who impregnated his slave Sally Hemings when she was merely 14 years old and him being 44. Yes, that Thomas Jefferson who many among the homogenous population don’t want our children to get the full 4-1-1 on. No, they prefer the watered-down, fairytale, red pill, Daughters of the Confederacy revisionist brainwashing history instead. They have to keep the cycle going at an institutionalized level for generations to come. “Train up a child…”

At the time of its origins, the Constitutional promises were essentially pertaining to white male landowners, all others had to struggle to gain their place in the sun.

The intersectionality of White Nationalism and Christian Nationalism have become merged and have been for quite some time.

In her book entitled, “Jesus and John Wayne”, Kristin Kobus Du Mez, makes the case that, White Christian evangelicals have a well-established history of merging the two concepts, which have culminated under Trump’s presidency. This has created a cult-like following of folks who have bent over backward trying to explain why they support a man whose lifestyle and lack of moral integrity are made acceptable.

Perhaps it’s what Dr. Frances Cress Welsing describes as a dying commitment to ensure the continuation of the so-called “white race” in the midst of carrying the recessive gene in a world which is dominated by people of color.

Perhaps it is that fear that prevents the unified beat from taking place. Perhaps it is that fear that keeps us divided and not able to find the groove which would allow us to truly become one nation under God in submission to His authority to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Until then, I guess we’ll keep getting down just for the funk of it, until we can dance our way

out of our constrictions.  

  

By Tobias Houpe