America on the Brink

Chapter Three The Fight for the Soul of America

During his presidential campaign, Joseph Biden often spoke of the election in terms of a fight for the soul of America. During the Democratic National Convention, Biden said, “This campaign isn’t just about winning votes. It’s about winning the heart and, yes, the soul of America.” It was striking to hear a presidential candidate talk in such ways about an election. It was reminiscent of past presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy who understood the broader spiritual significance of their presidencies. These leaders understood that seminal moments require more than political leadership, more than politics as usual. It requires moral leadership, something he is attempting to provide. In an October NY Times article, Elizabeth Dias noted, “From the start, his campaign message has been one of broader morality, versus specific policy or ideology,” also quoting presidential historian Jon Meacham who said, “When Mr. Biden says this is a battle for the soul of the nation, he is not using it religiously but as a synonym for character.” I agreed with him, and that was one of the many reasons I cast my vote for Biden-Harris last November. Four more years of a Donald Trump presidency would have been disastrous for the country. However, with his defeat, the fight for the soul of America is far from over. The truth is, America was losing its soul years before Donald Trump became president. He only exploited divisions unleashed by an economy that did not work for everyone and the underbelly of racism set off by the continual browning of America and eight years of an African American in the White House. Had America done important soul-work from 2000-2016, Donald Trump may not have ever been president and America would be a different country than it is now. No doubt America is in crisis, but it cannot all be blamed on Trump. The problems run deeper. Biden’s insistence that we are in a fight for the soul of America sought to draw attention to America’s moral character and implicitly suggested a very real possibility that America was in danger of losing its soul. Losing Your Soul The language of losing one’s soul comes from the Bible. In fact, Jesus was the one to talk about this in Gospels such as Mark and Luke where he asked, “ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul” (KJV “ lose his own soul” – Mark 8:36) . I grew up in church hearing this verse quoted and being told that it meant going to hell. What is interesting in the passage is that Jesus is not talking about dying and going to hell. He is talking about how we live. Losing your soul happens in life. In both Mark and Luke, this warning

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