Special: Jefferson, Monticello, & the Creator
Sunday, February 09, 2020
Peace to Live By Special: Jefferson, Monticello, & the Creator - Daniel Litton
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[Transcript represents full sermon's text]
While walking the garden at Monticello one Spring afternoon, the thought came to mind, “The God of the Universe has made himself known.” Indeed, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is such a beautiful place. The garden is vast, and extends from forward the house to far back behind it, on the left side, looking front. Undoubtedly, from the historical records they have, the association which manages the property has taken great lengths at keeping the garden growing with the appropriate plants, an arrangement that matches closely to what Jefferson would have had back when he lived here. He kept such meticulous records it wouldn’t have been hard.
As one makes way step by step through the garden, a single towering room presents itself. It has windows on all four sides, the front has a glass sliding door through which a person can walk through. In standing inside, the Virginia mountains present themselves richly in the background. The setting is perfect for contemplation. The body sat in the wooden chair that was there, and the thought processes began to roll. Not that this was the first time sitting here, and nor is it expected to be the last. The sun was peaking in through the window to the rear, and it was quite an empowering site. Much great thought must have been had inside this thinking room.
The thought then came to mind, “As the Supreme Being has has made himself known, he has done so in such a creative way.” It was just impossible for the mind to accept all the beauty of the surroundings, the large trees, the garden, the mountains in the background—it was too hard to accept all these things without acknowledging the Creator of them. Even Monticello up on the hill confirmed this. The splendid design of the house, the architecture of it, was assuredly surmised by a smart man. But then, who surmised the smart man who created the house? Jefferson, in his vast mind, believed in the Creator. The surroundings tend to forbid otherwise.
“Thomas Jefferson must still be alive.” That thought rang definitely true. The body rose from the wooden chair. Steps were made down the path a short distance, past the garden and down the hill. The towering marker cannot be missed. It’s simply not possible to fathom that one with such intellect, such appreciation for nature itself, it’s inconceivable that such a person could just cease to exist. Was the mind correct in this assessment? Oh yes. Certainly indeed. The belief is present that everyone who ever lives continues to be alive, even though we cannot see them. Yes, that is true the spirit confirms. Where though? Where does everyone go? We know the body dies and decays.
Such a brilliant document, the Declaration of Independence is. Words thought carefully over. One penned by a man who thought of himself not so eloquent (‘John Adams,’ 2008). Only now, knowing all that can be known, that is looked back with great humor. It was pictured, in one account, both John Adams and Benjamin Franklin touching it up (‘John Adams,’ 2008). Definitely, though, that is the case, that every good document needs its finishing touches. What rang through and through for Jefferson, as it continues to ring today, is that desire, the strong desire, to be free from tyranny. It’s that desire, that declaration, for freedom, for independence. “Independence from what?” one might ask who is unstudied on the subject. In their case it was a great power, an overarching and overshadowing power, one that was felt to be abusive, to be too hard of a burden to bear any longer.
All persons long for freedom, do they not? It would seem upon evaluation that each human, no matter who is considered, wants to live freely, wants to live in a way that he or she sees best fit. That’s what brought about the Declaration of Independence, and that’s what brings each person to make the next step—the step in the direction that they feel is best for themselves. It is perhaps upon growing up that one decides what he or she believes about the spiritual—about the person who is called God. Without question, the family in which a person is raised, the experiences one is exposed to, and typically that be without say, has a great influence. Those buildings with the crosses, almost of every street ventured down in this country, are not so frequented anymore. Freedom has led to the exclusion of what is seen, the desire to journey to the physical building for a Sunday morning worship.
Isn’t that the choice, however? The woman or the man decides. Who is the God? Or is in fact there a God at all? In Jefferson’s time, as Jefferson believed, there still wasn’t a question to that singular fact. Really, no one at the time questioned that. It is not convincing, either, that it is as questioned today as it might seem. People believe in the spiritual, just perhaps not in the traditional sense. Jefferson was not a traditionalist. He paved his own path, and went his own way, as so many people who follow in his spirit nowadays do. The first step is taken. The groundwork is there. People believe in the spiritual, that’s for sure. The question then becomes, but what set of spirituality? How does it look? Who really is the God who has created the heavens and the earth?
The freedom is good. Freedom without understanding cannot be good. What understanding, though? Living life on this earth for the first sixteen years, there was no understanding. There was basic knowledge. There was the ability to treat others somewhat respectably. There was the knowledge that there is a God. That’s the extent, though. That’s as far as it went. The concentration was on trivial matters, things that, in retrospect, are definitely held in their proper perspective now, or at least, try to be. Where did the enlightenment come from? How was the change made from, an animal in nature, going through the trivial motions, the basic and necessary motions, to an understanding, an actual comprehension, on a greater level, to how the spiritual works? Bold claim, isn’t it?
Life was lived at one time without reference to anything spiritual. While it seemed that such an existence should have brought about freedom, what was found was an impersonal, pointless existence, one that lacked real meaning beyond the surface level. Even the things in life which were supposed to beget fun, and those things which actually did cause that fun, they were found to be empty at the day’s conclusion. Real purpose was needed. There was an emptiness that couldn’t be dealt with. Interestingly enough, no solution was sought. The realization of the problem was there, but it was assumed that everyone else must have some kind of special existence, with this existence being unwittingly and unbecoming as a result of bad luck. Even though the answer wasn’t sought after, it manifested itself in its own time.
It doesn’t seem Thomas Jefferson ever arrived at a true answer. He surely believed in the goodness of man (Crawford, 2008, see Chapter 3). That is a noble and seemingly righteous position to have, at least in basic pondering of it. The issue is that we know the body does things, it does things that even our own conscience, from wherever that came about, even our own conscience disagrees with. For the man to be inherently good, he seems to do a lot of bad. We could say other people do bad. They’re the ones with the problems. It’s the people dimmed badly in the public eye who really have the problem. But then, in saying that, where does that leave us? What about the thoughts we think, those vile things that come to mind, of which no one knows about? We didn’t act upon those thoughts, as the others did. Does that make us better than most? Are we inherently good?
Clearly, the truth is that just as Jefferson’s plants grew in his garden, and each was unique in their beauty, so human beings, in and of themselves, have a form of goodness and are inherently good. It seems unbecoming to paint the Creator of nature, and everything that is, the world we live in, and then the people who reside here to have created persons of whom weren’t good. Truly, that doesn’t make sense. That betrays what we see in the goodness of the plants and their varieties for instance. It is then reality that the human beings, as we call them, must have been created inherently good. Look at the good things they are capable of: helping others, the giving of money, the sacrifice of the body for the country, the love of religion and the arts, the love of anything that comes from the heart of man. Yes, man does good. It emanates from him.
Jefferson was a good man, wasn’t he? Historian and author Alan Pell Crawford noted of Jefferson some of his well-to-do character-traits in his book titled ‘Twilight at Monticello.’ He states in part quoting Jefferson’s own granddaughter: “Jefferson’s nature “was so eminently sympathetic,” that, with those he loved, he could “enter into their feelings, anticipate their wishes, gratify their tastes, and surround them with an atmosphere of affection”.” The author also notes an account, from the same granddaughter: “One afternoon… the mail arrived at Monticello with a small packet postmarked Philadelphia. Soon “an elegant lady’s watch, with chain and seals, was in my hand, which trembled for very joy. My Bible came from him, my Shakespeare, my first writing-table, my first handsome writing-desk, my first Leghorn hat, my first silk-dress” (Crawford, 2008, see Chapter 23). We can gather, in looking at this, that Jefferson clearly had a kind-hearted side.
Or, we could consider the account of Jefferson’s love for his grandson, Jeff Randolph. One evening 75 year old Jefferson was attending his affairs at Monticello when word came to him that his grandson had been stabbed and was in grave condition. Crawford notes for us:
“By the time Jefferson had learned only this much, the sun had gone down, and the women at Monticello insisted that it was too late and too dark for Jefferson to set out. Ignoring their admonitions, he ordered another horse to be brought back to the terrace. When the women again objected, Jefferson repeated the order “in a tone which brooked no further opposition.” When his mount arrived, and he was helped back into the saddle, Jefferson struck the horse, which bounded forward at a gallop. The women watched in grim anticipation as the horse approached “the notch,” a gap in the dark woods where the mountain begins its sudden descent. Then, “with a clatter of hoofs,” horse and rider disappeared over the mountainside, leaving the moonlit dome of Monticello far behind. Within the hour, Jefferson had ridden the four miles to Leitch’s store, dismounted, and made his way to the back room. There he found his grandson lying on a makeshift bed of blankets that covered a baling crate. Then this most self-possessed of men knelt at his grandson’s bedside and wept” (Crawford, 2008, see Prologue).
Or, let’s look at the writing of the Jefferson historian Henry S. Randall, who, after interviewing Jefferson’s close family, said of Jefferson: “He attended church with as much regularity as most of the members of the congregation—sometimes going alone on horse back, when his family remained at home. He generally attended the Episcopal Church, and when he did so, always carried his prayer-book, and joined in the responses and prayers of the congregation. He was baptized into the Episcopal Church in his infancy; he was married by one of its clergy men; his wife lived and died a member of it; his children were baptized into it, and when married were married according to its rites; its burial services were read over those of them who preceded him to the grave, over his wife, and finally over himself. No person ever heard him utter a word of profanity, and those who met him most familiarly through periods of acquaintance extending from two or three to twenty or thirty years, declare that they never heard a word of impiety, or any scoff at religion, from his lips. Among his numerous familiar acquaintances, we have not found one whose testimony is different—or who entertained any doubts of the strict justice, sincerity, truthfulness, and exemplariness of his personal character.” (Randall, 1858, p. 575).
As with anyone, we know Jefferson wasn’t perfect, as indeed no one reaches the platitude of perfection, or Enlightenment. One can be said to be enlightened, though the term can mean different things to different people. Then, on top of that, what is good? What is the baseline of goodness? What may be good to someone perhaps isn’t good to someone else. It all sounds good, to say you are right and you also are right. Though, at the end of the day, we find that we are uncomfortable with such notions because they do not seem to stem from a position which stands on solid ground. Again, they are only good at the surface level. In order for anyone to have any chance at being enlightened, there has to be first the realization of what is truly right and what is truly wrong.
There was always the inner-knowing, perhaps due to being raised in this manner, that what was good came from the book that was called the ‘Holy Bible.’ The very reference to the word ‘Holy’ here in the title begets what we are talking about. If the book is Holy, then what it says must be true. Nothing else was known to be holy, so if this book is indeed Holy, that would mean that because nothing else is holy it must have the absolute authority over an other written document from the hand of man. Other religious books, those from other religions, were thought that while they could provide some good ‘advice’ in this or that area, that they were not holy. In some cases, such books were believed to be accursed, and of detrimental value, one’s to be discarded for fear of becoming corrupted by what they had to say.
We know Jefferson compiled his own version of the ‘Bible’ that excluded some noteworthy things. In contemplating this thought, it seems problematic and incomprehensible that Jefferson would have denied miracles and the supernatural occurrences written therein. The virgin birth of Jesus, the miracles, the healings, the casting out of evil spirits, the rising of himself back to life, the resurrection of others, the ascension to Heaven, where it is said he currently resides, what’s the problem? Why, the sun seems supernatural in and of itself. What about the fact that the shadow of the earth casts itself perfectly over the Moon, or the fact that the Moon so perfectly covers the sun during what is called a Solar Eclipse? Are these facts not supernatural enough? What about the countless stories that are told from any individual, regardless of the person’s internal beliefs, that supernatural things occur? Are these figments of the imagination, or easily explained away as being something other than they appear to be? We know truth is always befitting in simplicity, so if one has to come up with an elaborated explanation of why not, then the why not calls into question the very presumption which it is trying to defend.
But Jefferson himself stated about Jesus Christ, “His moral doctrines, relating to kindred & friends, were more pure & perfect than thoseof the most correct of the philosophers” (see Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus, 1803). Interesting it is, that Jefferson himself recognized certain works and teachings of Jesus being of such high regard. Though, it begs the question that if a man could be so grand in his teachings, so perfect in his instruction, so noble in what he said, what was passed onto others out of good virtue, then why is it that one could also be full of deception, full of the magic arts of fooling people with fake healings, fake exorcisms, fraudulent resurrections? Though the thought comes to mind that certainly, as Jefferson goes on to argue, these stories were made up, were fabricated by his followers after Jesus had been killed. This, invariably, begs the question then of why his disciples, supposedly following his grand teachings, decided to be deceptive themselves, and to take such a dishonorable path in representing their master, one that is contrary to many of the things the same said master taught them?
“What is the answer, then?” one might ask. “Is there an answer?” Oh yes, certainly there is. We don’t have to look outside of ourselves to find it. There is no miracle we have to see, no angel who has to appear, no healing, no dramatic event in the sky. The answer to us comes from the “inner-knowing.” It is the knowing that happens from the inner-voice of the Divine, when the mind comes to realize what the truth actually is. That there’s a Creator, the mind doesn’t question that after looking attentively at the details, the beauty of all that can be seen—the things that are natural. To quote Jefferson from his second inaugural address as President: “I shall need… the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life.” Yes, it is the God of Israel, the Jewish God, who has the answers.
One can consider all the religions of the world, as this mind has done more than once, and in contemplation the end result is always the same. No matter how it is viewed, no matter what way one tries to find the answer, or to look at contrary evidence, or to try and see things differently, an answer always remains the same in the end. It is as Jefferson implored. Whether those were his real thoughts, or whether he was trying to please a populace that mostly believed in this God, you will have to be the judge. The belief of the spirit, the belief that has been prevalent for almost twenty years now, the belief that resinates in the mind, is that there is no other answer, no other explanation, then what is offered by the God that the Scriptures, namely the ones titled as Holy, that those Scriptures tell us about. And with the conviction that this God is real, that the Jewish God is the Supreme Being of the Universe, and that he is Holy, as he says that he is, then comes the conclusion that one needs to be holy in and of themselves—holiness must be present, to commune with such a one who is Holy.
“Is communing possible, though?” We have moved from the natural to the supernatural. We have moved from education to the spiritual. We have moved from the linear to the non-linear. We have moved, yes indeed, past Jefferson himself. We are now one step further, one step beyond where he went. Again, it goes back to the inner-knowing. It goes to the inner-feeling. It goes to the inner-conviction, the feeling on the inside that what one believes with their heart is really true, and is happening outside of time, from one being in a place where there is time to a Being in a place where there is no time. What does the Supreme Being tell us, this God of Israel? He tells us, through his wild messenger from the wilderness, to believe in the one whom he has sent, the one who comes after him, of whose name is Jesus (see Acts 19:3, 4). This is not the merits of Jesus. Yes, the merits are good, but this is in the work that was accomplished, yes, due to the sin of the human race, everything that is wrong, that was to make all that there is right. It is only through his cross, the cross of the One who was sent, that this becomes possible.
Belief in that man, Jesus, and in that accomplished work to make us, yes, holy, allows for communion with the Creator. Then the mind cannot only contemplate, but it can commune, and truly become Enlightened (see Ephesians 1:18), until it’s becoming, the greatest of all human endeavors, reaches true transcendence. And once true transcendence has occurred, then we will join him in his governance, where everything is laid on his shoulders, where he is our “Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6, 7, ESV). This is real government, everlasting government of the world and of ourselves, the governance of true independence. And then the Words of the One with merit say to us, “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent” (John 5:36-38, ESV). The choice to believe is up to us. What does his inner-voice say to your spirit?
- Daniel Litton
References
Crawford, Allan Pell. (2008). Twilight at Monticello. Random House. Kindle edition.
Hooper, Tom (Director). (2008). John Adams [Television series]. United States of America: HBO Films. (Yes, I know, this is dramatized history.)
Jefferson, Thomas. (1803). 'Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus.’ Public Domain.
Randall, Henry S. (1858). The Life of Thomas Jefferson. Volume 3. Public Domain.
While walking the garden at Monticello one Spring afternoon, the thought came to mind, “The God of the Universe has made himself known.” Indeed, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is such a beautiful place. The garden is vast, and extends from forward the house to far back behind it, on the left side, looking front. Undoubtedly, from the historical records they have, the association which manages the property has taken great lengths at keeping the garden growing with the appropriate plants, an arrangement that matches closely to what Jefferson would have had back when he lived here. He kept such meticulous records it wouldn’t have been hard.
As one makes way step by step through the garden, a single towering room presents itself. It has windows on all four sides, the front has a glass sliding door through which a person can walk through. In standing inside, the Virginia mountains present themselves richly in the background. The setting is perfect for contemplation. The body sat in the wooden chair that was there, and the thought processes began to roll. Not that this was the first time sitting here, and nor is it expected to be the last. The sun was peaking in through the window to the rear, and it was quite an empowering site. Much great thought must have been had inside this thinking room.
The thought then came to mind, “As the Supreme Being has has made himself known, he has done so in such a creative way.” It was just impossible for the mind to accept all the beauty of the surroundings, the large trees, the garden, the mountains in the background—it was too hard to accept all these things without acknowledging the Creator of them. Even Monticello up on the hill confirmed this. The splendid design of the house, the architecture of it, was assuredly surmised by a smart man. But then, who surmised the smart man who created the house? Jefferson, in his vast mind, believed in the Creator. The surroundings tend to forbid otherwise.
“Thomas Jefferson must still be alive.” That thought rang definitely true. The body rose from the wooden chair. Steps were made down the path a short distance, past the garden and down the hill. The towering marker cannot be missed. It’s simply not possible to fathom that one with such intellect, such appreciation for nature itself, it’s inconceivable that such a person could just cease to exist. Was the mind correct in this assessment? Oh yes. Certainly indeed. The belief is present that everyone who ever lives continues to be alive, even though we cannot see them. Yes, that is true the spirit confirms. Where though? Where does everyone go? We know the body dies and decays.
Such a brilliant document, the Declaration of Independence is. Words thought carefully over. One penned by a man who thought of himself not so eloquent (‘John Adams,’ 2008). Only now, knowing all that can be known, that is looked back with great humor. It was pictured, in one account, both John Adams and Benjamin Franklin touching it up (‘John Adams,’ 2008). Definitely, though, that is the case, that every good document needs its finishing touches. What rang through and through for Jefferson, as it continues to ring today, is that desire, the strong desire, to be free from tyranny. It’s that desire, that declaration, for freedom, for independence. “Independence from what?” one might ask who is unstudied on the subject. In their case it was a great power, an overarching and overshadowing power, one that was felt to be abusive, to be too hard of a burden to bear any longer.
All persons long for freedom, do they not? It would seem upon evaluation that each human, no matter who is considered, wants to live freely, wants to live in a way that he or she sees best fit. That’s what brought about the Declaration of Independence, and that’s what brings each person to make the next step—the step in the direction that they feel is best for themselves. It is perhaps upon growing up that one decides what he or she believes about the spiritual—about the person who is called God. Without question, the family in which a person is raised, the experiences one is exposed to, and typically that be without say, has a great influence. Those buildings with the crosses, almost of every street ventured down in this country, are not so frequented anymore. Freedom has led to the exclusion of what is seen, the desire to journey to the physical building for a Sunday morning worship.
Isn’t that the choice, however? The woman or the man decides. Who is the God? Or is in fact there a God at all? In Jefferson’s time, as Jefferson believed, there still wasn’t a question to that singular fact. Really, no one at the time questioned that. It is not convincing, either, that it is as questioned today as it might seem. People believe in the spiritual, just perhaps not in the traditional sense. Jefferson was not a traditionalist. He paved his own path, and went his own way, as so many people who follow in his spirit nowadays do. The first step is taken. The groundwork is there. People believe in the spiritual, that’s for sure. The question then becomes, but what set of spirituality? How does it look? Who really is the God who has created the heavens and the earth?
The freedom is good. Freedom without understanding cannot be good. What understanding, though? Living life on this earth for the first sixteen years, there was no understanding. There was basic knowledge. There was the ability to treat others somewhat respectably. There was the knowledge that there is a God. That’s the extent, though. That’s as far as it went. The concentration was on trivial matters, things that, in retrospect, are definitely held in their proper perspective now, or at least, try to be. Where did the enlightenment come from? How was the change made from, an animal in nature, going through the trivial motions, the basic and necessary motions, to an understanding, an actual comprehension, on a greater level, to how the spiritual works? Bold claim, isn’t it?
Life was lived at one time without reference to anything spiritual. While it seemed that such an existence should have brought about freedom, what was found was an impersonal, pointless existence, one that lacked real meaning beyond the surface level. Even the things in life which were supposed to beget fun, and those things which actually did cause that fun, they were found to be empty at the day’s conclusion. Real purpose was needed. There was an emptiness that couldn’t be dealt with. Interestingly enough, no solution was sought. The realization of the problem was there, but it was assumed that everyone else must have some kind of special existence, with this existence being unwittingly and unbecoming as a result of bad luck. Even though the answer wasn’t sought after, it manifested itself in its own time.
It doesn’t seem Thomas Jefferson ever arrived at a true answer. He surely believed in the goodness of man (Crawford, 2008, see Chapter 3). That is a noble and seemingly righteous position to have, at least in basic pondering of it. The issue is that we know the body does things, it does things that even our own conscience, from wherever that came about, even our own conscience disagrees with. For the man to be inherently good, he seems to do a lot of bad. We could say other people do bad. They’re the ones with the problems. It’s the people dimmed badly in the public eye who really have the problem. But then, in saying that, where does that leave us? What about the thoughts we think, those vile things that come to mind, of which no one knows about? We didn’t act upon those thoughts, as the others did. Does that make us better than most? Are we inherently good?
Clearly, the truth is that just as Jefferson’s plants grew in his garden, and each was unique in their beauty, so human beings, in and of themselves, have a form of goodness and are inherently good. It seems unbecoming to paint the Creator of nature, and everything that is, the world we live in, and then the people who reside here to have created persons of whom weren’t good. Truly, that doesn’t make sense. That betrays what we see in the goodness of the plants and their varieties for instance. It is then reality that the human beings, as we call them, must have been created inherently good. Look at the good things they are capable of: helping others, the giving of money, the sacrifice of the body for the country, the love of religion and the arts, the love of anything that comes from the heart of man. Yes, man does good. It emanates from him.
Jefferson was a good man, wasn’t he? Historian and author Alan Pell Crawford noted of Jefferson some of his well-to-do character-traits in his book titled ‘Twilight at Monticello.’ He states in part quoting Jefferson’s own granddaughter: “Jefferson’s nature “was so eminently sympathetic,” that, with those he loved, he could “enter into their feelings, anticipate their wishes, gratify their tastes, and surround them with an atmosphere of affection”.” The author also notes an account, from the same granddaughter: “One afternoon… the mail arrived at Monticello with a small packet postmarked Philadelphia. Soon “an elegant lady’s watch, with chain and seals, was in my hand, which trembled for very joy. My Bible came from him, my Shakespeare, my first writing-table, my first handsome writing-desk, my first Leghorn hat, my first silk-dress” (Crawford, 2008, see Chapter 23). We can gather, in looking at this, that Jefferson clearly had a kind-hearted side.
Or, we could consider the account of Jefferson’s love for his grandson, Jeff Randolph. One evening 75 year old Jefferson was attending his affairs at Monticello when word came to him that his grandson had been stabbed and was in grave condition. Crawford notes for us:
“By the time Jefferson had learned only this much, the sun had gone down, and the women at Monticello insisted that it was too late and too dark for Jefferson to set out. Ignoring their admonitions, he ordered another horse to be brought back to the terrace. When the women again objected, Jefferson repeated the order “in a tone which brooked no further opposition.” When his mount arrived, and he was helped back into the saddle, Jefferson struck the horse, which bounded forward at a gallop. The women watched in grim anticipation as the horse approached “the notch,” a gap in the dark woods where the mountain begins its sudden descent. Then, “with a clatter of hoofs,” horse and rider disappeared over the mountainside, leaving the moonlit dome of Monticello far behind. Within the hour, Jefferson had ridden the four miles to Leitch’s store, dismounted, and made his way to the back room. There he found his grandson lying on a makeshift bed of blankets that covered a baling crate. Then this most self-possessed of men knelt at his grandson’s bedside and wept” (Crawford, 2008, see Prologue).
Or, let’s look at the writing of the Jefferson historian Henry S. Randall, who, after interviewing Jefferson’s close family, said of Jefferson: “He attended church with as much regularity as most of the members of the congregation—sometimes going alone on horse back, when his family remained at home. He generally attended the Episcopal Church, and when he did so, always carried his prayer-book, and joined in the responses and prayers of the congregation. He was baptized into the Episcopal Church in his infancy; he was married by one of its clergy men; his wife lived and died a member of it; his children were baptized into it, and when married were married according to its rites; its burial services were read over those of them who preceded him to the grave, over his wife, and finally over himself. No person ever heard him utter a word of profanity, and those who met him most familiarly through periods of acquaintance extending from two or three to twenty or thirty years, declare that they never heard a word of impiety, or any scoff at religion, from his lips. Among his numerous familiar acquaintances, we have not found one whose testimony is different—or who entertained any doubts of the strict justice, sincerity, truthfulness, and exemplariness of his personal character.” (Randall, 1858, p. 575).
As with anyone, we know Jefferson wasn’t perfect, as indeed no one reaches the platitude of perfection, or Enlightenment. One can be said to be enlightened, though the term can mean different things to different people. Then, on top of that, what is good? What is the baseline of goodness? What may be good to someone perhaps isn’t good to someone else. It all sounds good, to say you are right and you also are right. Though, at the end of the day, we find that we are uncomfortable with such notions because they do not seem to stem from a position which stands on solid ground. Again, they are only good at the surface level. In order for anyone to have any chance at being enlightened, there has to be first the realization of what is truly right and what is truly wrong.
There was always the inner-knowing, perhaps due to being raised in this manner, that what was good came from the book that was called the ‘Holy Bible.’ The very reference to the word ‘Holy’ here in the title begets what we are talking about. If the book is Holy, then what it says must be true. Nothing else was known to be holy, so if this book is indeed Holy, that would mean that because nothing else is holy it must have the absolute authority over an other written document from the hand of man. Other religious books, those from other religions, were thought that while they could provide some good ‘advice’ in this or that area, that they were not holy. In some cases, such books were believed to be accursed, and of detrimental value, one’s to be discarded for fear of becoming corrupted by what they had to say.
We know Jefferson compiled his own version of the ‘Bible’ that excluded some noteworthy things. In contemplating this thought, it seems problematic and incomprehensible that Jefferson would have denied miracles and the supernatural occurrences written therein. The virgin birth of Jesus, the miracles, the healings, the casting out of evil spirits, the rising of himself back to life, the resurrection of others, the ascension to Heaven, where it is said he currently resides, what’s the problem? Why, the sun seems supernatural in and of itself. What about the fact that the shadow of the earth casts itself perfectly over the Moon, or the fact that the Moon so perfectly covers the sun during what is called a Solar Eclipse? Are these facts not supernatural enough? What about the countless stories that are told from any individual, regardless of the person’s internal beliefs, that supernatural things occur? Are these figments of the imagination, or easily explained away as being something other than they appear to be? We know truth is always befitting in simplicity, so if one has to come up with an elaborated explanation of why not, then the why not calls into question the very presumption which it is trying to defend.
But Jefferson himself stated about Jesus Christ, “His moral doctrines, relating to kindred & friends, were more pure & perfect than thoseof the most correct of the philosophers” (see Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus, 1803). Interesting it is, that Jefferson himself recognized certain works and teachings of Jesus being of such high regard. Though, it begs the question that if a man could be so grand in his teachings, so perfect in his instruction, so noble in what he said, what was passed onto others out of good virtue, then why is it that one could also be full of deception, full of the magic arts of fooling people with fake healings, fake exorcisms, fraudulent resurrections? Though the thought comes to mind that certainly, as Jefferson goes on to argue, these stories were made up, were fabricated by his followers after Jesus had been killed. This, invariably, begs the question then of why his disciples, supposedly following his grand teachings, decided to be deceptive themselves, and to take such a dishonorable path in representing their master, one that is contrary to many of the things the same said master taught them?
“What is the answer, then?” one might ask. “Is there an answer?” Oh yes, certainly there is. We don’t have to look outside of ourselves to find it. There is no miracle we have to see, no angel who has to appear, no healing, no dramatic event in the sky. The answer to us comes from the “inner-knowing.” It is the knowing that happens from the inner-voice of the Divine, when the mind comes to realize what the truth actually is. That there’s a Creator, the mind doesn’t question that after looking attentively at the details, the beauty of all that can be seen—the things that are natural. To quote Jefferson from his second inaugural address as President: “I shall need… the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life.” Yes, it is the God of Israel, the Jewish God, who has the answers.
One can consider all the religions of the world, as this mind has done more than once, and in contemplation the end result is always the same. No matter how it is viewed, no matter what way one tries to find the answer, or to look at contrary evidence, or to try and see things differently, an answer always remains the same in the end. It is as Jefferson implored. Whether those were his real thoughts, or whether he was trying to please a populace that mostly believed in this God, you will have to be the judge. The belief of the spirit, the belief that has been prevalent for almost twenty years now, the belief that resinates in the mind, is that there is no other answer, no other explanation, then what is offered by the God that the Scriptures, namely the ones titled as Holy, that those Scriptures tell us about. And with the conviction that this God is real, that the Jewish God is the Supreme Being of the Universe, and that he is Holy, as he says that he is, then comes the conclusion that one needs to be holy in and of themselves—holiness must be present, to commune with such a one who is Holy.
“Is communing possible, though?” We have moved from the natural to the supernatural. We have moved from education to the spiritual. We have moved from the linear to the non-linear. We have moved, yes indeed, past Jefferson himself. We are now one step further, one step beyond where he went. Again, it goes back to the inner-knowing. It goes to the inner-feeling. It goes to the inner-conviction, the feeling on the inside that what one believes with their heart is really true, and is happening outside of time, from one being in a place where there is time to a Being in a place where there is no time. What does the Supreme Being tell us, this God of Israel? He tells us, through his wild messenger from the wilderness, to believe in the one whom he has sent, the one who comes after him, of whose name is Jesus (see Acts 19:3, 4). This is not the merits of Jesus. Yes, the merits are good, but this is in the work that was accomplished, yes, due to the sin of the human race, everything that is wrong, that was to make all that there is right. It is only through his cross, the cross of the One who was sent, that this becomes possible.
Belief in that man, Jesus, and in that accomplished work to make us, yes, holy, allows for communion with the Creator. Then the mind cannot only contemplate, but it can commune, and truly become Enlightened (see Ephesians 1:18), until it’s becoming, the greatest of all human endeavors, reaches true transcendence. And once true transcendence has occurred, then we will join him in his governance, where everything is laid on his shoulders, where he is our “Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6, 7, ESV). This is real government, everlasting government of the world and of ourselves, the governance of true independence. And then the Words of the One with merit say to us, “But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent” (John 5:36-38, ESV). The choice to believe is up to us. What does his inner-voice say to your spirit?
- Daniel Litton
References
Crawford, Allan Pell. (2008). Twilight at Monticello. Random House. Kindle edition.
Hooper, Tom (Director). (2008). John Adams [Television series]. United States of America: HBO Films. (Yes, I know, this is dramatized history.)
Jefferson, Thomas. (1803). 'Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus.’ Public Domain.
Randall, Henry S. (1858). The Life of Thomas Jefferson. Volume 3. Public Domain.