Faith Permeates the Collective Consciousness

Chapter 6 - Little Book of Big Reasons to Love America

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A seed planted in good soil

Christian faith permeates the collective consciousness in America so deeply it has become the way of seeing the world for society at large. Foundational cultural values like justice, equality, and dignity of every individual are so deeply intertwined in American social dynamics that their Christian roots are perceived as just common sense principles. In America, non-believers and those who left the faith still think Christian thoughts, dream Christian dreams, and profess Christian values. So do most cultures in the West long after they have become primarily secular. To understand the role of the Christian faith in America is to understand a significant reason for its flourishing.

Early colonists from England, the Netherlands, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, France, Sweden, and Spain planted the seeds of the Christian faith. They established communities built on foundational values and ethical standards to provide opportunities for prosperity while striving for harmony with a diverse population. Achieving harmony among diverse groups proved challenging, much like in their countries of origin.

America’s founding fathers wisely introduced the separation of church and state to protect religion from state interference and the state from becoming a theocracy. This created a society of pluralism and diversity, where faith traditions coexisted without state-sponsored religious mandates. It also allowed for individual conscience and autonomy in faith to flourish. Judeo-Christian values took root in this good soil to create a nation that changed the world.

The Protestant work ethic, promoting diligence and resource stewardship, significantly contributed to America's economic growth. Churches served as the centers of community life, fostering social connections, mutual support, health care, and charitable work. Honesty, integrity, compassion, and generosity were nurtured as virtues. As the basic structure of society, the family unit provided emotional support, economic stability, education, cultural traditions, and upward mobility for new generations of Americans.

American history is fraught with racism and discrimination between European immigrant groups, violence and mass displacement against the Native Americans, and the enslavement of Africans. While the Bible was often misused to justify these crimes, Christian leaders and communities have also been at the forefront of social justice movements, advocating for equality, civil rights, and humanitarian causes. Leaders like Martin Luther King advocated for racial equality, Cesar Chavez fought for fair treatment of immigrant farm workers, Harriet Tubman freed enslaved people through the Underground Railroad, and William Lloyd Garrison promoted the abolition of slavery through his newspaper The Liberator.

Biblical themes and moral narratives in documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution also profoundly impacted the arts, music, literature, and education. One of the top educational institutions in the world today, Harvard University was established in 1636 by Puritans to educate church clergy. Its coat of arms and motto was originally "Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae," meaning "Truth for Christ and the Church." Now, only the word Veritas remains on the crest.

Christian concepts of personal growth, moral responsibility, and individual calling to a mission in life permeated the collective consciousness and shaped a distinctive American culture. It became the foundation for a global self-help and personal development movement, inspiring entrepreneurs to innovate in technology and healthcare.

This distinctly American way of thinking resonated with me thousands of miles away and fueled my early career success. My faith came later and was a complete surprise to me and everyone who knew me.

My faith journey

I was raised by atheist parents and grew up thinking of faith as superstition. This shaped my worldview on life, love, relationships, ethics, and morality. In my mid-twenties, I was peaking professionally and tanking personally. I was playing for large audiences and reached millions on TV and radio. While I was living a life only a tiny fraction of artists ever achieve, I was also deeply depressed. Deep despair in my personal life amplified the emotional toll that came with the meteoric rise and fame. My desire to build a family was corroded by profound fear and trauma from memories of my parent’s divorce.

I had just gone through a painful breakup, made particularly heartbreaking by the separation from my baby daughter born from the relationship, and someone invited me to a non-denominational church service. I was skeptical but thought the sermon was insightful and relevant. I sat in the back and wore shades indoors to avoid being recognized. I was, of course, immediately recognized. After being introduced to the pastor, a Canadian missionary, he and I went out for some pizza and talked. A few days later, I was invited to dinner with his family. I noticed the gentle and loving way they interacted with each other. It dawned on me that this sort of healthy family was something I desperately wanted and had no idea how to build. I turned to the pastor in a moment of extreme clarity and asked: “How do I get what you have?” He said, “I will teach you from the Bible if you’re open to it.”

I was baptized two weeks later, and everything changed. I became a student of the Bible, an apprentice to my mentor, and an engaged member of my church community. Decades later, I have the beautiful and healthy family I longed for. I have preached the Good News of Christ and served the poor all over the world. My businesses are infused and fueled by my faith. As an artist, I sought Glory for myself and learned that art is best created for a higher calling. For many years now, my life motto has been Soli Deo Gloria, the three words Johann Sebastian Bach signed his brilliant work with.

It means to God Alone be the Glory.

America is not a Christian nation by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure a Christian nation is possible on this side of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus describes this in the parable of the many claiming to be His followers in contrast to the few who truly are. It is, however, a culture deeply infused with Christian ideas. The values of Integrity and honesty, charity and philanthropy, justice and equality, freedom and individual rights - shaped the American experience and created a culture of indomitable optimism and faith in progress. Far from perfect, America has consistently changed and evolved, fueled by a deeply Christian collective consciousness.

I am optimistic in the spirit of the quintessentially American narrative of redemption and hope. I believe this nation has enough antibodies to repel and prevail against a tidal wave of ideologies that are not only profoundly unhealthy but actively fanned into flame by forces waging war against Western civilization as a whole. Following Western Europe's path, the dechristianization trend is clearly visible and accelerating. History teaches us that great civilizations are rarely destroyed by outside forces but rather corrode and crumble from the inside before they are subdued by an adversarial power.

At a time when mocking Christianity is both acceptable and trendy, I do not worry about the Christians. We have been around for thousands of years and have seen empires rise and fall. My concern is that America's unique vitality, shaped by paying attention to the best blueprint for human flourishing in existence, will decline if more of us don't boldly and passionately speak up about faith. Biblical wisdom is a cornerstone of Western civilization, which, I fear, will not survive without it at the cultural core.

Martin Luther King Jr.: "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state."

Abraham Lincoln: "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book."

Denzel Washington: "Put God first in everything you do ... everything that I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It's a gift."

Oprah Winfrey: "I am a Christian. That is my faith. My faith is a carrying force when I can't see my way."

Chris Pratt: "I love God; that's my thing; I love Jesus!"

Mark Wahlberg: "I start my day, every day, by getting on my hands and my knees and thanking God for my many blessings."

George Washington: "It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."

Tom Hanks: "I believe in God, I believe in the angels, and I believe in heaven above."

Alice Cooper: "Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's rebellion."

Billy Graham: "The framers of our Constitution meant we were to have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion."