Mention the word “Bible” today and be assured that many people will have little interest in it. Not only will they have little interest in it, but you will probably make many of them uncomfortable. And on top of that, tell them that you read it, and notice that you begin to get strange looks.
While, in America today, it is sad how the most revered and treasured book of our forefathers, our prestigious universities, and our great beginnings has fallen into such disuse, we still can see vestiges of its influence rippling throughout the fabric of our land.
Many of our lower-level schools still talk about God every day when they recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag:
“I Pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America. And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation under God. Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
We sing our National Anthem – “The Star-Spangled Banner” – at every baseball, football, basketball, and hockey game. Few people , however, know the words of the fourth stanza:
Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
It is also interesting to note how one part of our government, the United States Supreme Court, has ruled prayer in our schools unconstitutional, while another part, Congress, begins each session with prayer.
While Washington, D.C., has basically legislated God out of our schools, her very own buildings and monuments are so full of references to God and verses from the Bible that you have to wonder what is going on. As an example, consider the following:
Engraved on the metal cap at the top of the Washington Monument are the words: “Praise be to God.”
On the walls of the Library of Congress can be found many Bible verses; one such says: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1)
And right above the head of the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court are the Ten Commandments, protected by the American eagle.
The great walls of our most influential as well as revered buildings in our nation’s capital are like great canvases where a vast collection of biblical quotations are displayed.
In most American homes, God’s Holy Word remains wholly unopened. It may maintain a place in your bookcase or on your mantle, but not in your heart, mind, or thoughts. As such, it remains a treasure chest of knowledge and wisdom untapped, a great journey into the fabulous history of our ancient world unexplored, and perhaps the key why we enjoy such freedoms today unrealized. My friends, this book may just be the best-kept secret in our country!