Yesterday afternoon I sat by the TV listening to Joe Biden introduce his running mate Kamala Harris. In this speech, and others, Joe has often referred to the “Battle for the Soul of America “.
Almost all religions believe that everyone has a soul, the spiritual part of a person regarded as immortal. In modern times, some people believe that the concept of a soul can also apply to a nation. This concept brought to mind a book The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham published in 2018. The author points out that Abraham Lincoln often referred to the soul as “the better angels of our nature”.
Meacham, a biographer, has written several books about our presidents and other historical figures. In this fascinating book, Meacham describes many events in detail including the “bad” times contributing to the development of our nation when Lincoln maintained “our better angels” would prevail.
His message is one of hope. Meacham recounts the troubled times in our past as well as the brighter episodes which support the development of a stronger nation. This book is a must read for all especially for those distressed by the fury of these turbulent times!
