Sovereign

Sovereign may be the most important word for 2026, along with its companion word, sovereignty.

The issue of who, or what, is sovereign may not be top of mind, but everyone, often unconsciously, operates with an idea of who, or what, is sovereign. It’s not just a political question. It’s a psychological question: “What is my ultimate concern?” It’s also a faith question: “Where is my ultimate allegiance?” Or, “What is my ultimate authority?” Sovereignty tends to enter our consciousness in times of crisis.

Great Britain is a good case study. It’s part of American history. The United Kingdom’s current monarch, King Charles III, is sometimes referred to as the Sovereign: In this representative role the Sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognises success and excellence; and supports the ideal of voluntary service.

George Washington didn’t see sovereignty invested in a person, like King George III. During the war Washington was addressed as “General” or “Your Excellency.” Future second president John Adams even suggested “Your Highness” and “Your Most Benign Highness.” Since the Constitution prohibits titles of nobility, it was finally settled that George Washington be addressed as “Mr. President.

The sovereign of the Roman Empire was the Emperor. Constantine embraced Christianity, whose local leaders were bishops, of whom the Bishop of Rome became the most influential. Known informally as Pope, or Papa, at times this bishop was more powerful than the Emperor. It was about sovereignty: Was the Empire sovereign or the Church? Was the Emperor sovereign or the Pope?

In Europe, nation-states emerged as new centers of power. The British Parliament enacted several Acts of Supremacy (Acts of Sovereignty). The 1537 Act made Henry VIII the head of state and the head of the Church of England, displacing the Pope, a significant event in the Protestant Reformation. Though largely symbolic, today’s King Charles is officially the head of state and the head of the church.

More tomorrow:

Is the United States sovereign or is the United Nations sovereign? Is international law meaningful or meaningless? Or, sometimes meaningful and sometimes meaningless?

If we see the US as sovereign, does might make right? Does the leader of a nation with a strong military (like Germany in the 1930s) do whatever he or she wants with neighboring nation-states?

Within the US, who, or what, is sovereign? The President? The Congress? The Supreme Court? These are important questions. Be wise. Ask tough questions. Make good trouble. Keep a sense of humor.

Are sovereign states “for sale” to today’s oligarchs? You may not have the wealth to buy a country, but you can buy a Sovereign. The UK has been minting gold Sovereigns since 1849. What’s in your wallet?

From “All Sovereign Coins,” by The Royal Mint

America as Empire

In light of ongoing US action in Venezuela, and thinking about the US as Empire, an article in The Collector, “The 6 Empires That Shaped the Bible Story” made me ponder which of the six is the US most like. The article included some beautiful artwork, such as The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, by Francesco Hayez, 1867, from Wikimedia Commons:

From July 4, 1776 through December 6, 1941, America as Empire would have been absurd to most Americans. The nation had a long tradition of isolationism and aversion to overseas military action. Less than four years after Japan’s December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the US was the world’s greatest power. Harry Truman said, “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.”

Empire came gradually. The 1803 Louisiana Purchase expanded the US beyond the Eastern Seaboard. The War of 1812 solidified US independence. James Monroe declared the Western Hemisphere off limits to European colonization. Of the first 44 presidents, Theodore Roosevelt would have most enjoyed leading an Empire, a task inherited by his cousin Franklin, who died exhausted at age 63.

The US entered World War I late, but Woodrow Wilson worked to establish a “league of nations” to avert another war. But, US isolationism prevented the US Senate from ratifying the Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the League of Nations. The United Nations was formed immediately after WW2, creating an imperfect, though crucial, stability and a tradition of international law.

In 1970, while topping a hill on US Highway 82 near the Alabama/Mississippi border, I saw the top line of a billboard, which declared “Get Us Out.” I expected the message to read “of Vietnam,” but the rest of the billboard read, “Of the United Nations!” Then and now, a big question is: Who, or what, is sovereign?

From “The John Birch Society,” Wikipedia

A view from Venezuela

One of the first emails I received this morning after the US military action in Venezuela was from Persuasion, a Substack blog, written by Quico Toro, global opinion columnist at the Washington Post and Director of Climate Repair at the Anthropocene Institute. Toro is among countless Venezuelans who have fled the Chavista regime of Nicolás Maduro.

With Moisés Naím, Toro recently wrote a book, “Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses,” which he discussed on an October 30 Lawfare podcast.

Toro’s post this morning is entitled, “Maduro Is Gone–Venezuela’s Dictatorship Is Not,” sub-titled “Bloodied and humiliated, the regime could turn even nastier.” On December 12, Toro wrote at Persuasion, “(The US President) Wants to Dominate Venezuela, Not Liberate It,” sub-titled “Maduro destroyed my country. What comes next could be worse.”

Later this morning, we are told there will be an announcement about today’s US military action in Venezuela from Mar-a-Lago. I suggest you read what Toro has to say first.

From “Maduro is Gone–Venezuela’s Dictatorship is Not,” (cited above)

Mr. Smith goes to Washington

In his January 2 newsletter, Robert Hubbell encouraged people to view former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Hubbell provided links to video excerpts, a transcript, and the entire video. Last night, we watched the first 1/3 of the video. We’ll watch the remainder over the weekend. I highly recommend it. We chose 1.25x speed.

I also recommend the 1939 movie featuring Jimmy Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, about which Wikipedia says: The film was controversial in the US when it was first released, with attacks from many politicians claiming that it brought Washington into disrepute, but it was very successful at both the domestic and international box offices and made Stewart a major star.

The movie received eleven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. In 1989, it was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films preserved in the US National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This week’s actual Mr. Smith went to Washington to set the record straight. He wasn’t acting. It was historically significant.

We need the young Atticus

Nelle Harper Lee (1926-1916) won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Gregory Peck won the 1962 Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role as Atticus Finch in the movie version. Casey Cep’s 2018 article in The New Yorker (referenced in yesterday’s post) was published in response to Aaron Sorkin’s play adaptation, which ran from 2018 to 2022 on Broadway.

I was 12 when the movie was released. The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama is based on Lee’s hometown—Monroeville, Alabama. I grew up with the movie, which was formative for me because it provided an “internal commentary” about my state during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement. To Kill a Mockingbird graphically described from whence our state had come.  

Casey Cep’s 2018 article gave me further insight about Nelle Harper Lee and her complex relationship with her attorney father, Amasa Coleman Lee. Her novel and movie reflect her “idealistic” childhood image of her father. But, her view of him changed after she moved to New York City in 1949. That was her primary residence until 2007, when she had a stroke and returned to Monroeville,

Nelle (as the local folks knew her) and her older sister Alice Finch Lee (1911-2014) were among the parishioners of the Monroeville United Methodist Church.. About 15 years ago I spent a morning and lunch with Tom Butts (1930-2021), who was then pastor emeritus at Monroeville. He and Nelle were good friends. She was more reclusive after her stroke. Tom had more to say about Alice, with whom he worked closely over many years, as evidenced by the UM News article linked below.

Atticus Finch was (and still is) a hero figure for me. Cep’s article points out that in Lee’s 2015 novel, Go Set a Watchman, set in Maycomb 15 years after the first novel, Atticus is no longer viewed as a hero. He had become more comfortable with racism. The novel and its various iterations, along with the unsettling Watchman sequel, remind me that each of us (and society collectively) is evolving, and our evolution isn’t always forward or positive. Sometimes we take steps backward. (Devolution?)

I do what I can to help our children understand the historical context for painful regressions in America’s institutions of governance, business, education and faith. These regressions are why we still need to remember the young Atticus Finch!

From “Alice Lee, United Methodist Leader, dies at 103,” by Sam Hodges, UM News, November 18, 2014

Wise caution for 2026

Yesterday’s post cited the Jesus challenge to be “wise as serpents” or “cautious as snakes.” We enter 2026 with a brewing scandal threatening an unwell president; an administration short on respect for the law; Chinese and Russian aggressiveness; a dearth of prophetic faith leaders; greater concentration of wealth in a growing oligarchy; and financial leaders who seem oblivious that these threats to democracy have the potential to tank the stock market and wreck the economy.

The challenge for those taking the challenge to be “doves amid wolves” is to courageously exercise wise caution, not flawlessly, but “harmlessly” or “gently.” Entering 2026, I’m encouraged by grassroots activism among Americans who are determined to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. A formative model for this in my youth was Atticus Finch, Nelle Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird character, created from the complexity of Lee’s life in the deep South.

In case you missed it:

From Heather Cox Richardson: The hallmark of the first year of (the President’s) second term has been the attempt of the president and his cronies to dismantle the constitutional system set up by the framers of that document when they established the United States of America. It’s not simply that they have broken the laws. They have acted as if the laws, and the Constitution that underpins them, don’t exist.

From Joyce Vance: I’ve seen a number of cases during my 25 years at DOJ where a defendant argued vindictiveness. In every case, the government explained why the prosecution was legitimate, and in every case, it prevailed. I’ve never seen a case where the government made representations to a judge that were refuted by its own internal communications. It’s exceptionally unusual for prosecutors to have to take the witness stand to defend their own conduct. But Abrego Garcia’s case, which has been highly irregular from the start, may well be the one where that happens.

This is all about due process.

From “The Contested Legacy of Atticus Finch,” by Casey Cep, The New Yorker, December 10, 2018. (More about Cep’s article later.)