OPINION – In a legalistic society such as ours, few things are as poorly understood as the concept of natural law. In its most basic form, natural law consists of those laws that exist entirely independent of government or man-made laws.
Some may be tempted to reduce natural law to simple laws of science, such as the law of gravity or the fact that every living thing seeks to protect its own life. In reality, it encompasses many of the self-evident truths to which Jefferson referred in the Declaration of Independence.
This includes the unalienable – meaning untouchable – rights of every human soul. It encompasses the ideal of limited government, checking and balancing power to prevent mischief and other principles that form the foundation of sound government.
Natural law also includes the law of the harvest, which dictates that we reap whatever we have sown.
Not surprisingly, this can have positive and negative connotations.
For instance, a friend recently shared a photo of a pecan tree he planted more than eight years ago. The tree is heavily laden with pecans ready to be harvested. His earlier efforts have borne positive consequences that he can now feast upon.
As Americans, each of us has reaped a multitude of blessings that are the product of the personal sacrifices and steadfastness of character of previous generations. This includes many of the freedoms and advantages we have traditionally enjoyed without having been the ones who labored to secure them.
If there is a downside to reaping the beneficial things others have sown, it’s that we have a tendency to start taking them for granted. This mentality can feed our sense of entitlement to blessings without having had to exert ourselves.
The negative side to the law of the harvest is that we can also inherit the results of wrongdoing by both those who came before us and those who are our contemporaries.
For instance, a family history of abuse can be handed down and perpetuated for multiple generations. Likewise, the decisions of wicked or unwise leaders can leave future generations impoverished, enslaved or corrupted.
Occasionally, the bad decisions sown by earlier generations are compounded by ongoing corruption, neglect or cowardice on the part of current generations. This is the situation we find ourselves in today.
What we are soon to reap has yet to be seen, but the storm clouds on the horizon are unmistakable.
We are in a classic Fourth Turning crisis, and it’s building to an unpredictable climax.
Economist Jim Quinn lays out the bad news for those who are late to the party:
As a country we have neglected, denied, or delayed necessary action on a plethora of vital issues threatening our long term viability as a nation. The deferral of difficult painful decisions has been a ploy of the ruling class, allowing them to further siphon the wealth of a dying empire, while maintaining control over the masses through laws, regulations, taxes, surveillance, intimidation, technology bread and circuses, and mainstream media propaganda.
The divisions that are deepening between numerous factions of Americans are solid evidence that the breaking point has nearly been reached. Unlike the binary conflict between the North and the South, the growing fractures in American society are taking place between dozens of groups.
Trust in the systems of control is breaking down. This could be clearly seen in the acquittal of Ammon and Ryan Bundy, along with five other defendants in their recent trial in Oregon.
The jury wasn’t so much convinced of the righteousness of the refuge occupiers’ cause as it was put off by the government’s heavy-handedness, dishonesty and arrogance in the exaggerated charges it leveled at the accused.
Quinn explains that no matter who wins in tomorrow’s election, the prolonged sowing of debt, decay and global disorder has guaranteed that each of us will reap a portion of the bitter harvest. Rain will fall on the just and on the unjust.
It won’t matter whether we’ve played by the rules or not; every generation has played a role in our current crisis and will sit down to a buffet of consequences.
If there is any consolation to be found, it’s likely to be seen in the fact that the deep state elite and their bureaucratic lackeys who thought they could game the system are about to find out otherwise.
Quinn writes:
The empire builders planted the seeds of their own destruction. Their arrogance and hubris led them to abscond with too much, promise far more goodies than they could possibly deliver, execute military overreach – bankrupting the country and creating enemies across the globe.
Thankfully, we still have the opportunity to sow what future generations will reap.
Changing things for the better starts with genuinely understanding how the law of the harvest applies to individual and societal choices.
Bryan Hyde is a news commentator, radio host and opinion columnist in Southern Utah. The opinions stated in this article are his and not representative of St. George News.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @youcancallmebry
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
A sound explanation.
Yes it is. and the same law applies 2 RealLowlife 2 get the mental hygiene he needs 2 get off the dope !
Bryan Hyde, thank you for an articulate, well reasoned article. Particularly appreciate the link to the Jim Quinn story, which was source for your article. With the election tomorrow, it’s instructive that Mr Quinn wrote at length about this:
“A Trump presidency would surely mark a drastic transformation from the existing decrepit social order.”
“A Clinton win would aggravate the building societal pressures.”
he’s awfully confident in trump isn’t he
What’s your alternative?
strap in good cuz its gonna be a bumpy ride, lol