Today's Reading of the Constitution

As I watched the reading of our governing document on the tiny C-SPAN window on my computer alongside the rapidly scrolling columns of Tweetdeck, I had the sense that we were, collectively, part of something historic. My heart pounded as we neared my favorite sections of this beloved document. I waited with anticipation to find out who would have the honor of reading those passages. It was as if we were reopening, after a long absence, the wisdom of ages long past.

(I know that's a little overly dramatic, but I watched Prince Caspian last night, and I still had the soundtrack playing in my head... And you know powerful music makes anything more gripping.)

But as we together listened to and commented on the reading of the Constitution, I was struck by the parallel to the story of young king Josiah in the book of Second Kings. Josiah was only eight years old when he ascended the throne. He was from a line of generations upon generations of evil kings, and yet, the Bible says, "he walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left." In the eighteenth year of his reign, which puts him at the age of twenty-six, one of his scribes accidentally happens upon the Book of the Law in the Temple. The scribe read the book before the king.

Can you envision that moment? This nation, this people, had been in open disobedience and defiance of their governing document, the Book of the Law for so many years that it had actually been lost. The words of the Law had become foreign to the very government it was intended to direct.

When he heard the reading of the Book, King Josiah tore his clothes, a sign of sorrow for his nation. Then, he gathered "all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord."

I felt this today as our elected representatives read the words of our governing document in the presence of all the people, both small and great. Granted the analogy is limited, given that the Constitution was written by fallible human beings, and the Book was written by the infallible hand of God. But I felt it just the same.

But here's the most important part of the story. And may we follow with similar actions.


"Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statues, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant." (emphasis mine)

I'll end the story there. Because I prefer it to be a happily-ever-after story... You can read on to see the choices the Israelites make after that momentous day. I'm going to pray that we don't make the same mistakes after this day.