it is too late.’ Church has become a club in which you don’t even have to pay dues if you don’t want.”
They were silent as they were led to a small room near the East Room to await the time to begin. The little group of three from Williams held hands and prayed. The Bookseller had been given no program, no time limitations, nothing. What would happen in these next few public moments had been left completely in his hands. Those were the president’s instructions, again over the objections of many advisors who warned of possible adverse political consequences. The president, even as the Bookseller had passed on food, was passing on political consequences. Nothing must get in the way of hearing from God.
The battle in the invisible had gone on throughout the night. Unbeknownst to those now gathering in the East Room, Professor Trice had been awakened by a representative of an organization called Government Without God, better known as GWG, to immediately file suit to block the broadcast. He had moved quickly, understanding the importance of standing against what he saw as an attempt by the religious forces to take their message to the public without restraint. He truly feared what could happen if the American people heard the message of the Bible without restraint and without “clarification.” His Keeper dug his fingers deep into Trice’s brain to plant the passion and influence necessary to fight this last-minute battle in the midst of the Harkins setback.
Suit was filed by 2:00 AM, claiming the broadcast was a violation of the First Amendment prohibition against the establishment of religion. A pre-selected favorable United States District Judge who had been appointed by former President Cox was then awakened. Judge Hightower had been carefully avoided since he had demonstrated that he could not be trusted on a matter of this importance. An injunction was issued without the government having the opportunity to appear and oppose the request. The order would allow the service to go forward, but not be broadcast. Professor Trice notified the White House and ITN demanding that the broadcast be canceled.
But Professor Trice was not the only legal mind awake at that hour. Attorney General Rodriquez had been up all night preparing for such a battle. He had been directed by the light within to expect a challenge, and the appeal papers to seek reversal of an expected injunction were ready. The United States Court of Appeals for the 1st circuit had been notified of the possibility, and a panel was on call if needed. The appeal was filed quickly, and the matter was fully briefed and argued by both sides as the sun rose over Washington. By the time most in the Capitol had finished their breakfast, a decision had been rendered.
The court’s opinion was direct and simple.
We reverse the District Court. No evidence was presented to demonstrate compulsion by the president or this administration to force the broadcast or to force anyone to watch. No government funds are being expended, and thus there is no state action to establish any particular religion.
The president is also a private citizen with the right to the free exercise of his religion as he may wish. There is historical precedent for political leaders in this nation, including presidents, to call the country to voluntary prayer and repentance. If the media wishes to cover the event, that is their First Amendment right. The injunction was issued in error and is hereby dissolved.
There was no time for a Supreme Court appeal. Professor Trice was tied up with Dr. Bristol, making sure they would have all the documents together for the 1:00 PM showdown with Judge Hightower. Dr. Bristol was willing to stand for what he believed in as long as he did not have to stand behind bars. Trice shared that opinion. The appeal would not have been heard anyway as the Supreme Court was in recess this morning. The majority of the members of the court were now sitting in the East Room awaiting the start of the service.
By 10:30 AM, the East Room was full, with an overflow of people standing in the back. The president’s invitation to members of his administration had been almost uniformly accepted. Present in the room were the vice president, cabinet secretaries, heads of departments, advisors, the Joint Chiefs, members of the Survival Commission, and as mentioned above, most members of the United States Supreme Court. Although no one knew what to expect, there was a sense of history and anticipation in the room. Some prayed while others simply waited and wondered what was about to happen.
The nation paused at 11:00 AM, some from deep commitment, others from curiosity to hear what the old man from Williams was going to say. People throughout the earth had been drawn together for this moment, and it began simply with a plainly dressed little old man with white hair and a white beard walking to a podium at the front of the room carrying a Bible and a single sheet of white paper.
Taking his Bible, the Bookseller turned to the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy and said by way of introduction, “To his people, to those who publicly had declared that they would follow Him as their God, the Lord through Moses laid out consequences of their future choices, for God is a God of the moment, and the consequences we face individually and as a nation are not the result of history — they are dependent on the choices we make now — the choices we make today. Listen to the Word of God.
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:40
“Consider this one blessing out of the many:
The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.41
“And now consider the consequences of a different choice:
However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:42
“Consider this one curse out of the many:
You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life… because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.43
“Is God really serious about the consequences of the choices that would be made, whether to obey or go their own way?
“Looking back from Babylon, Daniel knew the answer, for the nation of Israel had been completely destroyed by a foreign enemy and many of those who survived were taken away into captivity. It was a moment like today that changed history when Daniel chose to stand before God for his now non-existent nation. He chose to pray for forgiveness of their sin of rebellion against God, which had brought about their defeat. He confessed that, ‘We have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets,’ and that as a result, the curses I just quoted and the others in that passage had been poured out upon the nation and it had been destroyed by its enemies.44 He acknowledged that ‘The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him… we have sinned we have done wrong.’45
“God heard and answered, and a decree was issued by a foreign king who ruled over them that ultimately allowed the temple to be rebuilt,46 and then the city of Jerusalem.47 In time, Israel was once again a nation until its people again made wrong choices, they rebelled against God, and the process repeated itself.
“This truth is not limited to Israel, for no great world power has yet survived throughout all of history. America has no reason to believe we will be treated any differently if we make wrong choices.
“What then needs to happen to assure that we are aligned with God; that we are on his side individually and as a nation?
“The answer is found in the experience of Isaiah the prophet in the 6th chapter of the book that bears his name, when he encountered God. That is the purpose of today: to encounter God. What happens when you encounter God? Well, what happened to Isaiah?
“The Bible gives an elaborate description of what he saw, but what is important for us is not how God appeared to him, but how it affected him and what he did about it. When Isaiah realized that it was God Himself, he cried out, ‘Woe to me… I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty.’48