The Last Pillar

I've always admired the grand architecture of columns and pillars. To me, they signify power and great strength. Rising solid and tall they stand as witnesses to the great empires of ancient times and the leaders who established and maintained them. Consider the Parthenon of classic Greece with its majestic structure still reflective of their once great authority. In its totality, the Parthenon consists of 69 pillars which comprise its inner and outer arranged marble walls. Completed in 432 BC, it has remarkably survived the ravages of time and war, with many of its pillars still standing atop the Acropolis in Athens proving that sound principles built upon platforms of truth and wisdom will endure the test of time. Though, for many other cultures, a single column would be erected in honor of a great leader, saint, and/or heroic conflict to remind the populace of their earned heritage and national pride. For example, (and likely unbeknownst to many) since 1893, a 150 foot monument has stood at the heart of Trenton, New Jersey, known as the Trenton Battle Monument, which bears solid testimony to the heroic efforts of General George Washington and his broken band of Continental soldiers during the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Trenton one bitterly cold Christmas night in 1776. The conflict was a pivotal victory for the fearful Americans who had been suffering under the psychological dominance of Britain with her vast military and political influence. With depressed morale and the daily desertions of army personnel, Washington himself submitted to doubt - but only for a moment. With faith in God and the desire for national sovereignty from tyrannical rule, General Washington successfully turned feelings of despair to divine purpose culminating with the following words after his victory over the dominant Hessian Army:

"This is a glorious day for our country."

With the weight of a nation upon his shoulders, George Washington demonstrated great strength despite the stress and heavy responsibilities, choosing to stand upright and firm with confidence as a pillar among men.

A simple Internet search can produce a plethora of information about these structures and their marked semblances of a time gone by. In the Bible, we read of men seeming as pillars, the kingdom of God being likened unto a pillar, and the Lord's manifestations to the children of Israel in similar fashion, such as with fire or by a cloud. I do not find this coincidental as the very purpose of a column or pillar is to support and uphold. In the above mentioned examples, the Lord was teaching his people that he would always support and direct them insofar as they chose to live righteously and remember Him. But such blessings and divine protection can only come by maintaining a strong foundation built on principles and morals whereon the commandments of God, or pillars of truth, could be firmly planted. Hence, the base plate of the pillar, which serves to reduce the pressure and stress exerted by a weighted covering, is akin to the self-evident truths of liberty and personal responsibility sustained by Christ-like living. But alas, the same protective covering of moral clarity and responsibility over our own national security and sovereignty is crumbling. Like today's Parthenon, our roof is also severely damaged, falling to the floor in large measure to be broken further by the contact of sin and moral depravity. Now exposed to the unforgiving elements of nature and terror, the first pillars of civilized life are more vulnerable to external influence like terror, social control, and reductive materialism which are anathema to the inspired truths of the Constitution. But rather than reflect on the iron, granite, or marble columns representative of a nation's history, it would behoove us to examine our own inward parts and convictions, i.e. the morals and values that help qualify us to be real Americans and chosen warriors of God. These universal truths are not to be found exclusively within the walls of a chapel hall or as visions and revelations singly manifested upon the altar. Rather, the Lord manifests His mighty arm to all those who profess His name through obedience to the Commandments as He sees fit - sometimes in miraculous ways.

I think of Saul of Tarsus walking down the road to Damascus to persecute the Christians, filled with animosity for the cause of Christ and those "bound unto Jerusalem." I am sure the desert road was not paved nor consisted of a well-landscaped shoulder bright with flowers and ripe vegetation. It was likely of dirt - travel-worn and misshapen - decorated by loose stones kicked up by pulled carts and the long prints of weary feet. Yet still dedicated to the anti-Christ movement, Saul kept both eyes fixed on Jerusalem, the hub of Christendom. It was then that Christ Himself appeared before him, blinding him for three days resulting in a total conversion that qualified him for the appointed calling of apostle to the Lord Jesus Christ, henceforth to be known as Paul. Throughout the rest of his life, Paul stood for something. He taught of Christ and His Resurrection amidst being beaten, stoned, thrown in prison, and ridiculed by the very people he had once identified himself with. Truly, Paul was a pillar among men, standing fast to his beliefs and convictions despite being persecuted for them by upholding the teachings of Jesus and their saving influence, a protective covering that sustained him to the end of his days with the closing words:

 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."
                                                                             - 2 Timothy 4:7

Sadly, there are those within our own national borders, civilian and politician alike, who seem to be following in the same footsteps as Saul on the road to Damascus, possessing the same disdain and determination to overthrow the liberties of the land and the cause of Christians. Ezra Taft Benson, a true pillar of righteousness, declared in his talk The Price of Liberty: Eternal Vigilance that:

"The greatest threat to the freedom of any nation is erosion - not erosion of the soil, but erosion of the national morality and character. What we have to fear is not force from without, but weakness from within. Every nation yearns for liberty, but too frequently its own self-indulgence precludes the possibility of freedom. I speak of the trend of pleasure without conscience, wealth without work, business without morality, politics without principle, and worship without sacrifice. I believe personally there is a strong relationship between a strong, prosperous nation and the faith and righteousness of its people." (p.3)

He also reveals the destructive cycle of the body politic as it progresses "From bondage to spiritual faith - From spiritual faith to courage - From courage to freedom - From freedom to abundance - From abundance to selfishness - From selfishness to complacency - From complacency to apathy - From apathy to fear - From fear to dependency - From dependency to bondage."

At the end of his discourse, he outlines the four pillars upon which any nation's security rests:
1. Faith in God and in the universal brotherhood of mankind.
2. Strong homes and family ties.
3. A political climate and governmental system that protects man's inalienable rights.
4. Elected government officials who are wise and good, and a vigilant, informed citizenry.

As long as these columns remain supported by our first principles and intrinsic rights, we as a nation can withstand any oppressor or calamity that befalls us. But when one becomes compromised, such as by the dissolution of the family and responsible parenting, the weight of the roof is tilted and imbalanced, leading toward imminent collapse. Therefore, it is imperative that we stand as pillars of truth at all times, in all things, and in all places. We cannot compromise what we know to be true - ever. The whole "let's make a deal" philosophy so heavily used in the political arena today comes at a great cost - the people lose. Many of our "elected" officials are no different than the scribes and Pharisees of old who "love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues." (Matthew 23:6) If only politicians stood firmly on principles rather than friendly compromise, choosing to rise to the occasion as Christ did in the temple against the moneychangers with a ready whip, driving off the droning members of "the hive" who serve as mouthpieces to a collectivist mind so far removed from reality as the band who played on while the Titanic sank. Such outliers from reason cannot be suffered nor like-minded politicians be re-elected.


"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear." 
- Cicero

The earth is filled with history's columns, some having been reconstructed, others since fallen, while many more continue to stand the test of time. We must value them as monuments to civilization and high places of courage. While the future remains uncertain, and the present course of our nation is turned backward to war and wise leadership, it would be well for us to no longer avoid the pain that comes from self-examination, but to embrace our faults as opportunities to grow toward heaven. Like Paul Muad'dib in Frank Herbert's masterpiece Dune, we can all be "the strength of the base of the pillar" in our own homes and communities - paving the road for our own children to follow in the same way General Washington and his men marched onward to Trenton despite blood and cold.


I am eternally grateful for the sacrifices of all those who have died to preserve our way of life and the many freedoms we still presently enjoy as a free nation. May we never take them for granted or become complacent in their defense. 118 years have passed since the Trenton Battle Monument was erected. Let us hope, for the sake of our country, that the same amount of time can be added upon this first one. If not, then may we all stand firm in the truth until that fateful day arrives, courageous and strong, joined in loyal defense of our inalienable rights against all forms of tyranny - to be a testament of liberty and freedom rising high through the ashes as the last pillar of humanity.

Long live the fighters