How To Be A Happy Nation

Washington, like so many of his contemporaries, knew the Bible and knew it well, and he wove biblical language, biblical texts into his private correspondence and even into some of his public pronouncements. One good example of this is a letter he wrote in June of 1783, known by historians as the circular letter to the states. This is a letter that is written at the very end of the war, the war for independence. And it's a letter written in anticipation of his retirement as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. And he expects that he's going to turn in his commission, and he's going to return to his beloved home, Mount Vernon, on the South Bank of the Potomac. And he writes this letter, which I think we should view it as his parting advice to the American people. He wants to give them a farewell address, so to speak, much like he would do later in life when he retired as president of the United States. But this is his parting advice to the American people.

And in the final paragraph of that letter, he says this. Now, I think it's important to keep in mind. This is the last paragraph, and in fact, it's going to be the last sentence of the last paragraph of what he believes at this moment will be his last words to the American people. Now, of course, history turned out very different than that, but at the time he writes this, this is his last advice to the American people. And what does he say? He says,
"I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you and the states over which you preside..."

(Remember he's writing this by way of the governors of the respective states.)

"... in the state over which you preside in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for the fellow citizens of the United States..." (This is the last word) "...and finally that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and specific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the divine author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation."

Now, this is a fascinating text. He's advising the American people on what they must do to be a happy nation. And where does he turn? This is a loose paraphrase of Micah chapter 6 verse 8, where we read, "What does God require of us but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God?"

That's what Washington is directing our attention to. The words of this ancient Hebrew prophet. He says that we would be disposed to what? "Do justice, to love mercy," and then he says, "and then to imitate and demean ourselves with those characteristics of the holy author of our religion."

This, I think, is a reference to Jesus Christ. If we're going to be a happy nation, do justice, love mercy, and imitate the life of Christ in our own virtues, our own values, and our own behavior. A fascinating use of Scripture in the political rhetoric of the American founding.