Keene Star (Keene, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 48, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2012 Page: 4 of 12
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Page4A ★ Keene Star ★ Thursday, June 28, 2012
www.keenestar.net
COMM MTARY
Viewpoints
God bless America and our neighbors, too
Editor’s note: This commen-
tary first appeared in the
Keene Star in June 2010. It
received such favorable re-
sponse that we are reprint-
ing it as we approach the
236th anniversary of our
blessings and our freedom.
ERWIN SICHER
Special to the Keene Star
I am hesitant, as a foreign-
born American, to write in
celebration of the Fourth of
July - the most sacred civic
holiday in America.
Will I be understood cor-
rectly? My wife, Eva, put all
my apprehensions to rest.
She said: “Most Americans
are born into this nation.
They have never thought
about their birthright. You
have made a conscious choice
to become an American. You
can talk on that subject and
your perspective might be
helpful to native-born Ameri-
can Christians.”
Introduction
As a child in Austria in the
late 1930s and early 1940s, I
saw suffering on a scale few
Americans can imagine:
The Communist Parti-
sans, who were living in our
forests, would come in the
middle of the night and take
away anyone they did not like
and shoot them, hang them
and even stick them into an
anthill to be eaten alive.
Every week a cattle train
with hundreds of wounded
would pull into our little vil-
lage railroad station. My
mother and I would cook
soup and take it to the train.
And there they were, with-
out arms, without legs, just
stumps. We fed them.
Then there was the fighter
plane attack on a Red Cross
car right in front of us. The
gas tank exploded. We went
through the rubble and ashes
and all we could find were two
charcoal stumps of humans.
Yes, I saw pain and suffer-
ing.
I saw unemployment be-
cause of my faith, something
we do not understand in the
U.S. When my father joined
the Adventist church, he
could find no job in Austria,
because everyone worked on
Saturday. He had to work in
Germany and came home
only once a month. This last-
ed for 15 years.
I knew homelessness,
which is unknown to the
great majority of Americans.
When my father became an
Adventist, he lost his com-
pany apartment. We lived in
a tent for two months while
we built a little 20-foot by 10-
foot structure of wood with-
out electricity, water or sani-
tary facilities. We lived there
for 15 years.
I knew what it meant to
be an Adventist in a coun-
try which required Saturday
school attendance. I went to a
secondary school in the pro-
vincial capital. That school
met on Saturday. Nonatten-
dance of school on that day
was punishable by law. Only
through a conspiracy with the
principal could I excuse my-
self each Sabbath by claiming
to be ill every week.
I knew what it meant to
come from the wrong social
class, to have difficulties get-
ting into the school of your
choice even though you are
academically qualified.
When the Adventists final-
ly opened a mission school
in Austria, I registered and
thought my troubles were
now over. Surprise. I found
out that many, including our
pastor at that time, tried to
keep me from going to Bogen-
hofen because I was a black-
smith’s son. People with that
kind of a social background
had no business attending a
ministerial training school.
I knew nakedness and
cold.
In my childhood, I never
had a new garment. I never
had long pants. Finally, at
the end of the war, a German
Red Cross train pulled into
our station with beautiful
seats of Manchester Cordu-
roy. Two or three of us nine
9-year-olds jumped the train
and cut out the Manchester
Corduroy. I took it home and
announced to my mother,
“Now you can make me long
pants.” She said no - it does
not belong to us. Take it back.
I knew hunger.
How often my little stom-
ach hurt. At the end of the
war and some time after, we
ate only things that we found
in the wild: roots, berries,
mushrooms and dandelions.
Oh, how I knew suffering,
religious persecution, home-
lessness, low social status
and difficulty in getting an
education, nakedness and
hunger.
Then one day it happened.
The Adventist minister ar-
rived with a little cart at our
house. The cart was filled with
packages. In the packages
were cans of food and clothes.
He said, these are CARE pack-
ages from your brothers and
sisters in America.
Thinking of America
America. My thoughts
raced. For the first time I had
heard the magic word, Amer-
ica. I knew nothing about
this land, but the goods and
clothes that were before me
told me it was a land of plen-
ty. America, were everyone
has clothes and eats three
times a day.
I soon learned more about
this great country. I discov-
ered that it was founded by
people who had similar ex-
periences like me. They, too,
knew suffering, persecution
for their faith, homelessness
and hunger. They risked their
lives. They sailed for Ameri-
ca. They built a great nation
whose center was God. The
words “In God we trust” on
our money remind us of the
bygone days when God was
the center of the community.
That’s why God blessed
America
What are some of these
blessings?
God gave America wonder-
ful resources.
Practically every resource
that man uses can be found
in America. In her fields, ev-
ery crop grows —every kind
of tree, and every fruit of the
earth which is good to eat.
In her mines are most of
the useful minerals, and on
her open prairies are every
kind of meat.
God has given America
bountiful natural beauty.
Every scenery that can
be found in the world can
be found in America. I have
seen the shores of the Medi-
terranean, but they do not
match the beauty of the Pa-
cific Coast or the Gulf Coast.
I know the Alps of Austria
and Switzerland, but they
are no more spectacular than
the Rockies or the Smokies.
I have sailed on the Danube
and Rhine. They don’t com-
pare to the Ohio, Mississippi
or Colorado rivers.
All that is just the begin-
ning of what “God shed on
Thee” America. There is Ni-
agara Falls, the Grand Can-
yon, Yellowstone Park, the
Redwood Forests, Carlsbad
Caverns and much more.
And what is so amazing is
that all of this beauty is in one
country.
God has given America
a good governmental
system.
Americans have a demo-
cratic government. The
people can participate in the
governmental process. The
leaders are responsible to
the people. Each branch of
the government watches the
other and excesses are usu-
ally avoided. For this reason,
none of you are familiar with
the tyranny of totalitarian-
ism. About concentration
camps you have only read in
books. No secret police stalks
the streets and your business
is safe from confiscation.
God gave America freedom
of speech and the press.
Today, I am free to say any-
thing I want. There is no law
to stop me. Americans are
free to criticize even the pres-
ident of the United States. No
one goes to jail for speaking.
During the Watergate cri-
sis, or the start of the Iraq
War, my relatives overseas
and in Mexico simply mar-
veled at our freedom to speak
and criticize. Even though
they, too, live in democra-
cies, they said they would not
be able to talk that freely.
God has given America
religious freedom
What a gift! Without warn-
ing or just cause, our church
was closed in 1933 in Ger-
many. It has been shut a hun-
dred times, in many other
places, but never in America.
In America* thousands of
churches are open and the
members free to worship and
win supporters even though
some churches are really far
out. Freedom is for all or it is
secure for none.
One man led by God start-
ed it all —Roger Williams. He
was persecuted for his faith
and fled to Rhode Island and
established in that colony the
principle of religious free-
dom. This small light illumi-
nated Thomas Jefferson and
other founding fathers and
they wrote it into our Consti-
tution and the Amendments.
Can anyone imagine what
it would be like if this bless-
ing did not exist for us today?
God gave America
separation of church
and state
The hardship of many be-
lievers in the past and, in
many places, at present is
due to the unity of church
and state.
America has been blessed
and has avoided much blood-
shed.
European history is filled
with the story of the Cru-
sades and religious wars
against those outside the
state church.
God has given America
an ideal location
The climate in the U.S. is
the most ideal of any country
in the world.
The country is protected
by two oceans. No invasion
has taken place in America
for over 200 years. My for-
mer hometown has been
overrun four times in the last
60 years.
Furthermore, for over
3,000 miles there is only
one official language spoken
in America. The sign for my
hometown is in two languag-
es. Switzerland, the size of
the Metroplex, has four offi-
cial languages.
God has given America
the opportunity to give
most everyone a chance
A poor Austrian boy went
to college, then graduates
school in America, teaches
college and is speaking un-
hindered with a heavy for-
eign accent. Where else on
earth could such a thing hap-
pen but in America?
Edison was a poor boy,
but the whole world today
uses the 1,150 inventions that
come from his mind. This
was only possible because he
lived in a land where a poor
boy could have a chance. That
was also true for the great
black inventor Washington
Carver, for Andrew Carnegie,
J .D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford
and Abraham Lincoln
God has given America
great ideals.
My tears roll down my
cheeks when I hear the words
of Thomas Jefferson in the
Declaration of Indepen-
dence:
“All man are created equal
and endowed by their cre-
ator with certain inalienable
rights among them are life,
liberty and the pursuit of
happiness”
This brings me to my sec-
ond major point.
The blessings are not given
to be treated with indiffer-
ence, or wasted and squan-
dered.
With blessings come
responsibilities
I am only going to allude
to a few which have been sug-
gested:
Stewards of the
resources
Blessed America has only
5 percent of the world’s
population, but we are using
35 percent of the world’s re-
sources. That leaves 65 per-
cent of the resources for 95
percent of the population.
I wonder how God looks at
this?
Furthermore, we use 25
percent of the world’s pro-
tein. Many in this world are
very hungry.
Christians are called to
protect the beauties God
created for us and future
generations to enjoy. Greed
must not make us despoil
these beauties by plowing
under marginal land, by cut-
ting, needlessly, forests and
subjugating them to erosion.
Coastal oil spills must be pre-
vented.
Whenever we travel though
the U.S., we meet tour groups
from many parts of the globe.
They come primarily to see
America’s natural wonders
which God has so richly be-
stowed on us.
Keene4<Star
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Dr. Erwin Sicher
Safeguard our
government
The blessing of good gov-
ernment can be maintained
only as each Christian active-
ly participates in the politi-
cal process. We are called by
Holy Scripture to pray for the
leaders, to pay taxes honestly
without cheating and to vote.
Every one of us is responsible
for the actions of our govern-
ment.
Protect freedom of
speech
This is a serious responsi-
bility. There is a human ten-
dency to quiet the one who
does not agree with us. There
are limits to what can be said.
We all know that. But let’s be
very careful about these lim-
its.
Freedom of speech and
press are very fragile. They
are the first things that disap-
pear in a threatened nation.
Protect religious
freedom
This is another of the
blessed gifts God gave to
America. Let’s never treat it
with indifference.
We can not just defend
our own freedom. We must
defend freedom for every re-
ligious group. Remember the
quote from pastor Niemoeller
in Nazi Germany:
‘They came for the Jew
and I was not a Jew so I did
nothing. They came for the
Jehovah Witness and I was
not a Jehovah Witness so I
did nothing. Then they came
for me and there was no one
left to help me.”
Maintain the separation
of church and state
Dangerous cracks are ap-
pearing in the wall between
church and state. We must
take a clear stand on the prin-
ciple of separation of church
and state, if we want to avoid
future mishaps.
Extend equal
opportunity
There are some pockets
of people who have no equal
opportunity. Every person is
a child of God, and should
have an opportunity to rec-
reate the image of God —
maybe through education,
medical care or dignified em-
ployment.
Work on the great ideals
and come a little closer
to their realization
The one ideal I expressed
from the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was:
“All men are created equal
and endowed by their cre-
ator...”
During the Fourth of July
commemoration when we
celebrate the blessings God
has bestowed on America
and we consider ourselves a
chosen nation, it is impor-
tant to remember all nations,
including our neighbors and
those that are not so neigh-
borly, are God’s creation.
Jesus is the best example
of how we should relate to
our nation and to mankind.
Dr. Julius Morgenstern
said, “The Gospels record
definite national conscious-
ness on the part of Jesus, so
much so that at one place
he said: ‘Salvation is of the
Jews.’ He felt solidarity with
his people.”
We hear the words of the
Master saying, “O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem. How often would
I have gathered your children
together as a hen gathers her
brood under her wings, and
you would not!”
These words are evidence
of a deep love for his country
and its capital.
But, there is also a great
deal of evidence of universal-
ism, the concern for all men,
and for the whole world.
Christ recognized the love
of the homeland, but not
at the exclusion of all other
countries. True love is inclu-
sive, not exclusive.
When a new baby comes
into a family, it does not
mean that the other children
are loved less. The capacity of
your heart is enlarged to take
in the new arrival.
Jesus gives us the inclusive
view.
Luke, in the seventh chap-
ter, records a moving con-
versation with a Roman
centurion of whom our Lord
testified:
“I tell you not even in Is-
rael have I found such faith.”
There is no evidence of
Jesus showing any anti-
Roman prejudice or feeling,
even though his nation hated
Rome.
Concerning the attitude of
Jesus toward other nations
and foreigners, the Bible
commentator C.J.Cadoux re-
marks: “His own personal ex-
ample and his ethical teach-
ing clearly reveal the solution
he advocated. It was that by
gentleness, good will, and
religious leadership, Israel
should change the suspicious
tyranny of Rome and the con-
tempt of the Gentile world
into a peaceful fellowship,
and should thus become the
guide and friend of mankind
and the builder of the world-
wide kingdom of God.”
We also have Christ’s
marvelous illustration of
the Good Samaritan. Jesus
chose a despised foreigner as
the hero of his story to give
the world an illustration of
neighborliness the world will
never forget.
Jesus loved his own state.
The record shows him to be a
good citizen who appreciated
the blessings Israel received
from God. But he never had
any prejudice, even against
Israel’s oppressor. He used
even foreigners as models
for the chosen. Overriding
everything, however, was his
loyalty to God’s kingdom.
That kingdom is open to
everyone. Jesus said:
“I tell you, many will come
from east and west and sit
at the table with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob in the King-
dom of heaven.”
(Matthew 8:11)
We, his disciples must do
no less. Let’s honor and love
our country. That is but right.
But like Jesus, let’s be with-
out prejudice and malice to
other nations and nationals.
Beyond everything, let’s keep
our eyes on his kingdom.
Longtime Keene residents
Dr. Erwin Sicher and his wife,
Eva, were married in 1959 in
Englewood, Calif. They have
three grown children: Stanley
of Pueblo, Colo., Brian of
Amarillo and Alan of Austin.
Dr. Sicher has a Ph.D. in
history from the University
of Southern California and a
Ph.D. in adult and continuing
education from Texas Wom-
an ’s University.
He is fluent in English,
German, Italian, French and
Spanish.
Dr. Sicher began teaching
at Southwestern Adventist
University in 1976 and has
served as chair of the social
work, education, history and
modern language depart-
m en ts.
He currently is in the class-
room only one semester per
year; however, he is online
year-around in the adult
degree progra m.
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Gnadt, Paul. Keene Star (Keene, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 48, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 28, 2012, newspaper, June 28, 2012; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth804117/m1/4/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Burleson Public Library.