Editor:

The celebration of our nation's 250th birthday is inspiring a wealth of reflection on who we are and where we find ourselves just now.

"To Love a Country: The Problem of Patriotism in America" is by historian Dominic Erdozain. I was so inspired by an interview with him I happened to hear on National Public Radio. His work recounts the stories of signal moments in our country's history, when individuals came forward to build on the promise of America.

There was such hope to be found here. And a powerful reminder that the country is her people. In our media driven, hyper-partisan era we are prone to think of the nation primarily as the government we have just now and today's headlines. In the meantime, forgetting that finally what constitutes a country are "acts of meaning," the understandings and actions of her citizens.

Another recent book that speaks powerfully to this moment is "The Crisis of the Common Good, The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America" by Senator Chris Murphy.

Looking back over the past 70 years, Murphy deftly analyzes the societal changes that have brought us to where we are. He identifies six false idols we pay homage to and says that our spiritual core has been damaged.

"Over the past 50 years, we have become a wealthier and more just country in many ways, but we have also retreated from shared prosperity, social contracts, and strong communities, building altars instead to profit, efficiency, consumer culture, technology, elite credentialism, and a winner-take-all politics that concentrates corruption."

"… We need to build something beautiful in its place. Americans want to feel powerful and connected—in their individual lives, their family lives, and their place in a community."

I find Murphy's analysis so on point and hopeful. This stepping back to consider the big picture, this considering our history, both our successes and failures, this asking the deeper questions about cultural values and shared longings — is so important.

It's the "reflective democracy" that Robert Wuthnow calls for and models in "American Mythos, Why Our Best Efforts to be a Better Nation Fall Short."

Wuthnow asks us to consider the stories we live by with their underlying assumptions. He looks carefully at the tensions we've experienced in chapters on individualism, privilege, religious diversity, ethnicity, and materialism. And in his concluding chapter asks us to consider venues for practicing reflective democracy — voluntary associations, churches, schools, town halls and mass media.

Regarding mass media he calls us to distinguish between "filler" and "commentary that seeks to interpret events by fitting them into a larger or longer-term framework."

"Cultural analysis is especially helpful" … that "takes a critical look at the stories we tell about America and ourselves."

It's so important to recall that America has from the beginning been a work in progress and that democracy depends on we the people. We were in 1776 a bold experiment. So improbable a beginning, a representative government never tried before.

"From many one" was challenging then, and how much bigger and more diverse we are today, 342,620,183 million of us. As with every succeeding generation, we are being asked today whether we're willing to work at this, and often against all odds.

We can honor our nation this year by revisiting our history and being inspired by the courage and sacrifice of former patriots.

We can consider again the form of government the founders fashioned and amendments made in pursuit of a more perfect union. We can consider again the principles we still hold most dear. We can turn away from the constant stream of "us and them" political speech that's become so toxic for us and for the nation and engage instead in more thoughtful reflection. We can lean into conversation with one another, as we pursue together a living democracy.

Conservationist Terry Tempest Wiliams writes: "The human heart is the first home of democracy. It is where we embrace our questions: Can we be equitable? Can we be generous? Can we listen with our whole beings … and offer our attention rather than our opinions? And do we have enough resolves in our hearts to act courageously, relentlessly, without giving up, trusting our fellow citizens to join u s in our determined pursuit — a living democracy?"

Steve Bullington

Adrian, GA