Yesterday we were reading about yet another triumvirate towards the end of the Roman Empire. This time it was Valentinian II, Gratian, and Magnus Maximus. Yet once more the stronger two (Valentinian II and Magnus Maximus), those in control of the more critical portions of the empire, were the ones warring.
It is much like our two dominant political parties today. The Democrats hate the Republicans and everything they stand for and vice versa, simply because of the fact that each purportedly holds the minds of a large portion of our population.
Everything that is done by government is done these days with the express, although generally unstated, goal of maintaining and expanding the mind-share of the populace.
And what was the result in our past?
Throughout the history of Western Civilization we see the ebb and flow of power between groups, but it never, ever leads to a stable state with leaders who are content to lead simply for the good of it’s people.
Our founders recognized this, but somewhere along our way many of us have forgotten that there is no stable state for a society. At some point our’s will fail. It is inevitable. Human nature, greed and vice, will corrupt the framework and our great experiment will begin to crumble. Perhaps it is already crumbling.
What can we do? We can stay our course. Stay true to our purpose. And maintain tenderness. Don’t forget to be tender with our children and our loved ones. Family, after all is said and done, remains the center of our existence.
