The American Soul

Why Returning To “Normal” Won’t Save America

• Jesse • Season 5 • Episode 167

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When headlines feel heavier by the day, it’s tempting to wish for a return to “normal.” We take a sharper path instead, asking what real peace requires and how conviction, not comfort, reshapes a nation. Through prayer, Scripture, and a candid look at our cultural blind spots, we trace a line from personal character to public life, from the kitchen table to the town square, and from Advent hope to daily courage.

We start with the hard truth: hoping for a status quo won’t heal a fractured culture. Titus 2 offers a counterculture of restraint, integrity, and mentoring that rebuilds trust where it’s lost—older saints modeling steadiness, younger hearts learning self‑control, speech that can’t be condemned because the life behind it is clean. Revelation 11 widens our view, reminding us that faithfulness can be costly and that history is not leaderless. The two witnesses stand, fall, and rise at God’s command, and the seventh trumpet declares a kingdom that outlasts empires. That promise doesn’t remove our duty; it anchors it.

Psalm 139 brings the cosmic close: God sees, guides, and guards, even when fear presses in. We sit with the wonder of being knit together, known fully, and led along an everlasting path. A brief stop in Proverbs names the ache of endless appetite and points us back to limits that free. We honor Seaman Edward William Boers, whose Medal of Honor moment reveals how ordinary duty becomes extraordinary under pressure. Then Christmas voices from Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt invite us to practice charity, forgiveness, worship, and generosity—habits that quiet the soul and strengthen the home.

Across these threads, a theme emerges: lasting renewal starts with prayer, character, and courage. We affirm the spiritual roots that shaped American life, not to posture, but to serve with truth and grace. If you found clarity or courage here, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Your voice helps this community grow.

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SPEAKER_01:

Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope. Back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever you all are, and whatever part of the day you're in. I sure do appreciate you joining me and giving me a little bit of your time and attention. Hopefully, you're able to listen to it with someone else. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others, tell others about it, thank you. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you very much. Very grateful for your prayers. Father, thank you for today.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for you, Father, and your son Jesus Christ. And your Holy Spirit. Thank you for sending your son. And for him being willing to come. To seek to search for us. To bridge the gap. Forgive us our sins.

SPEAKER_01:

Forgive us our greed and our selfishness, our pride, vanity, judgment of others, gossip, slander, lust, covetousness.

SPEAKER_00:

Forgive us when we don't forgive others, as you have forgiven us. Help us to do better, Father. Help us to lean on you and not on our own understanding.

SPEAKER_01:

Be with our military, be with our law enforcement. Our EMS workers, those who go out into the cold and the rain and the snow.

SPEAKER_00:

The dark. Be with those who are fighting to protect us from evil. Both foreign and domestic. Be with our leaders.

SPEAKER_01:

Give them wisdom and courage and a strong faith. Help them to rule in fear of you. Help us to turn back to you as a nation, Father. To turn back to you and your son and our marriages, our families, our communities, our churches, our schools, our states. And again, as a nation. Be with those listening to the podcast today, Father, wherever they are, comfort them, bless them, surround them with your angels, protect them from evil of any kind. Be with those who are anxious, upset, scared, alone. Help them to feel your presence.

SPEAKER_00:

And please guide my words here, Father. In the name of your Son Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen. So one of the things that I have seen quite a bit of lately on social media and just in the news. Well, it doesn't really matter, folks.

SPEAKER_01:

There's there's a logical disconnect with us as a country. I talk about this often on the podcast, and the reason is uh, you know, the old saying, beating a dead horse, right? It doesn't do any good because the horse can't go anywhere. But this horse is very much alive. We see these repetitive, consistent, frequent acts of violence, um corruption. I mean, I mean, just the list of atrocities is is pretty deep. And it's consistently tied to leftism, which includes socialism, communism, Nazism, fascism, and Islam. The whole of the 20th century is just one textbook example after another. And then when you go farther back than that, for centuries, for Islam, all the way back, you you remember our very first war as a nation was against Muslim countries who were uh enslaving our citizens because they felt like that was a right given to them from their religious teachings. And and the logical disconnect is we think just like when COVID happened, you remember a lot of people probably in your little circle said, I just want to get back to normal. Maybe you were even one of those people. First of all, normal is what got us here to begin with. It's not a good thing. But but the problem is, folks, the idea that we can somehow find this magical status quo and live peacefully alongside people who follow either of those two ideologies, it's just not realistic. It's not going to happen, and we we really need to get our head wrapped around that.

SPEAKER_00:

Marriage versus for today.

SPEAKER_01:

From Titus II, starting with verse one, you, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and endurance. Likewise teach the older women to be reverent in the way they lived, not to be slanderous or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. And the scriptures for today and go back into Revelation maybe eleven. Is that right? Some of y'all that are paying attention. I think it is, yeah. Verses one through nineteen. Then I was giving given a measuring stick, and I was told, Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshippers, but do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for forty-two months, and I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap, and will prophesy during those one thousand two hundred and sixty days. These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy, and they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them, and their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, the city where the Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days all people, tribes, languages, and nations will share will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. But after three and a half days God breathed life into them, and they stood up. Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, Come up here, and they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven. The world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. The twenty four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshipped him, and they said, We give thanks to you, Lord God the Almighty, the one who is and the one and who always was. For now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets as well as your holy people and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth. Then in heaven the temple of God was opened and the ark of his covenant could be seen inside the temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. Psalm one hundred thirty nine verses one through twenty four. O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up, you know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand. I can never escape from your spirit, I can never get away from your presence. If I go up to heaven you are there, if I go down to the grave you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me, and the light around me to become night. But even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is marvelous, how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book, every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God, they cannot be numbered. I can't even count them. They outnumber the grains of sand, and when I wake up you are still with me. O God, if only you would destroy the wicked. Get out of my life you murderers, they blaspheme you. Your enemies misuse your name. O Lord, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Proverbs thirty verses fifteen and sixteen The leech has two succors that cry out more, more. There are three things that are never satisfied, no, four that never say enough The Grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.

SPEAKER_00:

Medal of Honor for today is Edward William Boers.

SPEAKER_01:

Rank Seaman Conflict Interim eighteen ninety nine to nineteen ten, board the USS Bennington, US Navy, july twenty first, nineteen oh five. Place San Diego Harbor on board the USS Bennington, California. On board the USS Bennington twenty one july nineteen oh five, following the explosion of a boiler of that vessel, Bors displayed extraordinary heroism in the resulting action. Accredited to Kentucky, not awarded posthumously, presented april fifteenth, nineteen oh six, born march tenth, eighteen eighty four, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, died april second, nineteen twenty nine, Cincinnati, Ohio, buried Vine Street Hill Cemetery, one tack one tack five, Cincinnati, Ohio. Edward William Boars.

SPEAKER_00:

You know there was more way more to that story than we're getting out of that citation The explosion of a boiler. So we're gonna go back to the Christmas.

SPEAKER_01:

I love this time of year on the podcast. I mean, I like this time of year anyway, folks, but November and December, the Thanksgiving proclamations and the Christmas messages. And man, it goes by fast every year. Like I feel like I barely got to really enjoy any of the Thanksgiving proclamations this year. That's a pretty good reason, folks, to just be still, huh? Maybe we'll talk about that some more in a minute. So this is from William McKinley. This is part of a Christmas speech, a public address he gave at the White House on December the 24th, 1900. So, my fellow citizens, as we gather tonight to celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace, let us remember the sacred meaning of this holy season. Christmas comes to us with its message of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. In this blessed season, let us lay aside our differences and remember that we are all children of one heavenly Father. The Christmas Spirit teaches us charity, kindness, and forgiveness. May the blessings of this holy night rest upon every home in our beloved country. May peace dwell in every heart, and may prosperity attend every fireside. Merry Christmas to all, and may God bless the United States of America.

SPEAKER_00:

William McKinley, White House, december twenty fourth, nineteen hundred. I think we'll read one more.

SPEAKER_01:

This is out of a letter from Theodore Roosevelt in nineteen oh four, december twenty fourth, nineteen oh four, written to his children The White House, Washington, december twenty fourth, nineteen oh four to Archie, Quentin, Ethel, Hermit, and Alice. My dear children, Merry Christmas. This is the best time of year when we remember the birth of our Savior and gather together as a family. Christmas means more than presents. It means love, kindness, and thinking of others. Tonight we will hang our stockings by the fireplace and dream of Santa Claus. Tomorrow we will go to church and thank God for all our blessings. Let us remember those who are less fortunate and share our good fortune with them. May this Christmas bring you joy, and may the coming year be filled with health and happiness for all of us.

SPEAKER_00:

Your loving father, Theodore Roosevelt.

SPEAKER_01:

So I wanted to read at least one quote from McKinley. McKinley, of course, was assassinated at the beginning of his second term as president on July 4th, 1892, addressing the Baptist Young People's Union in Lakeside, Ohio. McKinley said, Lincoln, this was when he was governor, Lincoln, like Washington, illustrated in his administration faith in God. On March 4th, 1861, he said, intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance upon him who has never forgotten this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulties. On july fourteenth, eighteen ninety-four, again, Cleveland, Ohio, as Governor McKinley gave a speech to the Christian Endeavors International Convention. There is no currency in this world that passes at such a premium anywhere as good Christian character. The time has gone by when the young man or the young woman in the United States has to apologize for being a follower of Christ. No cause but one could have brought together so many people, and that is the cause of our master. I have a lot of trouble often closing because there's so much in each podcast. Not that I'm doing such a great job, folks, but just that there's so much information out there that I feel like is so important to us as a people today. So much that we've forgotten or never knew, that it's hard for me to kind of pick and choose. But I'll close with remember Edward William Borse. Remember the men who have sacrificed so much or been willing to, and the women that sacrificed them, the wives, the mothers, the sisters, because it's equally as important. Remember the messages from Theodore Roosevelt to his children, from McKinley on Christmas Eve. And remember that we were born a Christian republic. We have no need to apologize for that. We shouldn't apologize for that. And don't be tricked or deceived into thinking that standing up for the fact that this was born a Christian republic is somehow something to be ashamed of. And you go back to Psalm 135 and you look at verses four and five, perhaps in particular. You know what I'm going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. God knows what's going to happen, folks. Even if we don't, even if we're anxious or scared, he already knows everything that's going to happen. And he's going to bring us home safe to him. And if there's any way we can salvage our nation, great. If he gives us that opportunity, and if not, we still belong to him. And at the end of the day, we get to go home to him. And I guess the only other thing, folks, is if you get a chance, go back and listen to some of these sources. I think they do a much better job than I can.

SPEAKER_00:

Often. Almost always.

SPEAKER_01:

If you're looking for a family-friendly middle grade read and you'd be willing to check out Countryside, you can get a hardback, paperback, ebook. There's two books in the series that's kind of along the lines of Narnia, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Hobbit, that kind of stuff. And if you enjoyed, if you'd leave a review somewhere, I would be very grateful for that. And if you feel like you're getting something out of the podcast each day and you have three or four or five dollars you can donate, there's a website on the Buzz Sprout webpage where you could do that.

SPEAKER_00:

And I would be very grateful for that as well.

SPEAKER_01:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever.

unknown:

Amen.

SPEAKER_01:

God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriage if you're married. God bless America. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world listening. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, folks. Looking forward to it.