Sacred America, Sacred World

Installment #11

 
Part One
Developing a Sacred Worldview

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Chapter 4: E Pluribus Unum
 

We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone . . . and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.
— Sandra Day O’Connor

Next I want to explore our nation’s official motto, which I believe offers important clues and a profound compass setting for how we can live into the next level of our destiny as a nation.

The Great Seal of the United States, which we find on today’s dollar bill, contains the Latin motto E pluribus unum (“Out of many, one”) in the beak of the eagle. At the time of the adoption of this motto, E pluribus unum reflected the unification of thirteen states into one nation, as depicted by the thirteen arrows in the left claw of the eagle and the thirteen-leafed olive branch in the right claw.

This motto can be seen as a commitment embedded in the founding codes of our country that can help us chart the path forward into the evolution of America 7.0. If the motto were only a celebration of a new political alliance, we might assume our country’s mission was completed long ago: a singular feat of rebellion, independence, and nation founding.

However, the original thirteen colonies have grown into fifty states, covering a geographic area more than ten times the size of the original colonies. The mission of creating a greater union has thus been an ongoing journey rather than a singular moment.

If we take E pluribus unum seriously, it even points beyond political alliances to a spiritual role that America has charted for itself: to lead toward greater wholes. We find this higher purpose reflected in the stars above the eagle’s head, which are arranged in a Star of David, an ancient symbol for the bridging of heaven and earth. The political and spiritual aspects of E pluribus unum go hand in hand; the creation of larger political unions requires a shift in identity toward that greater whole. Without such a shift, we would always think of ourselves as Californians or Minnesotans rather than Americans.

On the spiritual side, we discover that we are more virtuous, more fulfilled, and stronger through our active participation in a greater whole rather than through our isolation. When we recognize our oneness, we stop fearing, hating, or attempting to destroy the perceived other. We expand the boundaries of “our” tribe.

War is an expression of our “manyness” and sense of separation, whereas peace is an expression of our “oneness.” Seen more deeply, then, America’s motto charts a course for our country to lead beyond the wars that have characterized a very long epoch of human civilization — a time of perceived manyness — to an era in which our sense of oneness prevails. That is why the eagle’s head on the seal is turned toward the talon holding the olive branch, a symbol of peace. The ultimate mission of America, coded in us from the founding, can be seen as the spreading of peace.

Over the last centuries, America has had growing pains in putting E pluribus unum into practice. For much of our history, our human tendency to identify with manyness has fueled racial injustice, beginning with slavery and moving into less overt forms of racism, which we still struggle to move beyond. The impulse toward racism runs counter to our motto and the sacred truth of oneness. The same is true of the subordination of women, which reinforces the sense of manyness in opposition to a spirit of oneness.

Many reforms in the spirit of E pluribus unum are on their way to completion. Others have just begun, such as our full embrace of homosexuality, immigrants, African Americans, Native Americans, and we could even say members of other political parties. With each passing decade, our motto calls upon us to evolve still further. It calls us to illuminate where we are exaggerating divides rather than finding where our interests, ideals, and dreams coincide.

In today’s political environment, the motto E pluribus unum encourages us to strengthen cross-party friendships and alliances, as well as enter into global accords, agreements, and partnerships. A narrowly defined self-interest in trade, for instance, perpetuates the sense of manyness in the world rather than our oneness. Spiritually, aligning with E pluribus unum means we need to outgrow seeing ourselves primarily as Americans and begin to foster a sense of ourselves as global citizens, which has been happening at a remarkable pace, as evidenced by a 2008 study in which 71 percent of Americans agreed with the statement, “I see myself as a citizen of Planet Earth as well as an American.”

When we see ourselves exclusively as Americans who are looking out only for “our” separate interests and “our” lifestyle, we perpetuate the sense of manyness that breeds war, suspicion, and mistrust. Seeing ourselves as global citizens is a powerful step toward oneness. By aligning our country politically and spiritually with our motto, America can help advance the historic transition beyond a culture of violence to an enduring culture of peace.

And that is why I believe that E pluribus unum was inscribed on our most sacred seal: it is a call for us all to remember our true purpose here and to help us evolve an ever more perfect union, not just within our current borders but with the world as a whole.

To be continued in the next issue of Catalyst...

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