“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Pope John Paul II (Catholic saint).
The purpose of an anchor is to tether watercraft to a lake bed or sea floor to keep the craft from drifting in rough water or heavy wind. Every vessel used to travel over water that does not carry an anchor is at the mercy of those elements. When things are calm, there is no need for an anchor. But when the winds grow strong and the seas white-capped, an anchor can be the only hope; sometimes for survival. An anchor is security. Faith is an anchor, a secure place in good times and bad.
Whether intended as criticism or compliment, you may call me a Christian nationalist. I believe there is a valuable relationship between traditional faith and civil society. I want to live in a city, state, and country that is guided according to biblical values and the freedom to pursue happiness which comes through virtue, as the meaning of happiness was originally understood.
Ask the head of any legitimate institution in the world the principal aim of that body and the answer will be the same: a good quality of life for its people. The answer is ageless and universal. Regardless of size, whether public or private, it applies to every institution, including churches, corporations, governments and, the most important, families. The family has been called a mini-civilization, the basic tribe, and the “original cell of social life.” Public authorities have given it recognition through the ages. But the family does not rely on an earthly authority’s blessing. A community that was instituted before any other, the family has God’s blessing. It is His design. And the family that prays together, actively practicing a shared faith, stays together.
The institution of family and the enhancement, encouragement, and accomplishment of family stability are important to the economic, social, and spiritual prosperity of every other institution. The mutual love and harmony within a sound family spill onto the streets to the benefit of their neighbors. That benefit spreads into the larger community and beyond. Good of the family unit should be the first concern of every city, state, and nation. Which leads to the point of this item.
Applied to Jackson, but in my opinion appropriate for all institutions that govern, every proposal and every decision should be made with the good of resident families in mind. Since every religious institution is also devoted to the welfare of its members, it seems logical that our city and its congregational institutions should work together. They have a significant common goal - - good quality of life which is prosperity. Together, they share a duty to the good of every family that makes up their citizenry or congregation. It seems natural and prudent that one should promote the other. And they should do this as much in spirit as in real works.
The Founders of this country came from European heritage. Thus, the nation was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs and principles. Even justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have recognized this to be a Christian nation. Not Christian in the sense that one specific religion was ordained. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. But Christian in the sense of shared ethical and moral standards. Continuing prosperity, temporal and spiritual, lies in that foundation.
New York Times columnist Ross Douthat has observed that “The decline of religious membership and practice is increasingly seen as a societal problem rather than the great leap forward [promised by secular liberalism].” He notes that “people raised without belief are looking for meaning elsewhere” when religion “makes much more sense of reality.” (“Is the World Ready for a Religious Comeback,” Opinion by Russ Douthat, www.nytimes.com, Oct. 19, 2024.) Western culture and its foundation must be maintained; anchored where drifting. The best way to do so is through the prosperity of families in their homes and religions in their houses of worship and schools. This warrants the encouragement of government, including the government in Jackson, Mississippi.
It is reassuring to see churches whose congregations have remained in our city. Also encouraging is the sight of prospering parochial schools that were implanted in Jackson decades ago. On the city’s Northside, First Presbyterian Day School, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School, and Saint Richard’s Catholic School have not only remained in the city but they continue to make extensive investments toward their future here. Located, respectively, on or near North State Street, Old Canton Road, and Meadowbrook Frontage Road, each is not only a testament to religious principle and tradition but to Jackson’s future.
In my opinion, every church and ordained school in our city is a valuable statement of earthly faith in the City of Jackson. In addition to their enriching academics, they teach service to others, the virtues, and reverence for life. They produce responsible future citizens. It’s a fact that those who monetarily contribute to them receive little recognition, if any. But generosity is its own reward, and I cannot imagine a more rewarding feeling than from making a significant gift to one of those schools at Christmastime.
To readers who enjoy the security of abundant financial blessings (no doubt accumulated through sacrifice and hard work) and who want to make a gift that’s more lasting than a season, consider giving to one of Jackson’s parochial schools. You will be investing in the anchors whose flourishing signifies hope for a prosperous city.
Chip Williams is a Northsider.
