British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and United States President Franklin Roosevelt met in 1941 to issue a joint declaration that became known as the Atlantic Charter.

They anchored their warships off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

In a joint worship service, including the crews of the warships, British and American voices joined in hymns that spoke of the most sacred beliefs that the British and Americans shared.

These sacred beliefs anchored their historic proclamation:

[A]fter the final destruction of the Nazi tyranny, they hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all the [peoples] in all the lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want.

In addition to inspiring the British and the Americans, these sacred beliefs inspired many other peoples (who were neither British nor American) to destroy the Nazi tyranny so that all the peoples in all the lands may establish a peace with freedom from fear and want.

It is not easy to overcome and heal ancient animosities and discordant beliefs in order to embrace this common vision of peace with freedom from fear and want.

It is not easy for this common vision to truly apply to all peoples and all lands. To truly be a common vision where ALL means ALL!!!

For example, the United States was born in 1776 in the fires of its War of Independence from Britain. In the War of 1812, the British captured the new capital in Washington, D.C. and burned key buildings such as the White House and the Capitol.

Nevertheless, in the fires of World War II, hymns spoke of sacred values that can overcome and heal such ancient animosities and discordant beliefs.

In the Bible, the Psalms are “hymns” that can overcome and heal ancient animosities and discordant beliefs among all of us who love our one God—our one LORD—with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:36-38).

Why?

Because all of us who love our one God—all of us who love our one LORD—should all say as one:

“May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts,

     be pleasing in thy sight,

O LORD,

Our Strength and our Redeemer.”

(Psalm 19:14).

Because all of us who love our one God—all of us who love our one LORD—should all say as one:

“Praise the LORD, all ye nations;

      extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love toward us,

     and the faithfulness of the LORD

     endures forever.

Praise the LORD!”

(Psalm 117:1-2)

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For more of my thoughts about when to divide and when to unify in order to overcome and heal all divisions caused by foolish, disobedient, deceptive people who are enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, and thereby overcoming and healing all divisions based on religions, genders, nationalities, social status, and economic power, please read my blogs “Grace and Peace—Titus”, “Nationalism Is Patriotism Gone Astray”, “How Do We Build a Civilization That Is Good—That Is Very Good?”, and “We Need Inspiring Visions of a Bright Future. Why?”.

For more of my related thoughts, please read my books Visions of America and Visions of the Church (published in one volume).