Getting on the Bandwagon

Slang terms and sayings we use so often today are from years ago and are passed from generation to generation. Many times they lose or have changed their meanings. Such is the term, “Get on the Bandwagon”. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English explains it from the 1930’s as: The bandwagon, full of musicians playing loud, catchy tunes, was used in the circus parade before the show to attract crowds to the circus ground, and was adopted for political parades.

People would follow or jump onto the wagon to the circus or to the political candidate’s headquarters. It became an American Colloquial cliche. To climb, jump, or get on the bandwagon was to join the popular party, support its candidate(s) or proposals, and be on the winning side. Wow, haven’t we all seen a lot of bandwagon jumping recently.

In these changing times of our world, we see one popular belief pick up steam into the thoughts and terms being thrown around daily. One term that we never heard in public three or four years ago but is pronounced by everyone today is “God Bless America”. Since the beginning of President Bush’s first speech we would hear him close his messages with those words. Anyone that knows the beliefs of this man know he chooses his words carefully and means each one.

At first reporters made fun of him and others said that he couldn’t say those words because it crossed the line between church and state. Yet he continued to use them. Then this week, we see nearly every announcer in radio, pasted on billboards, flowing on business signs, pronounced by television show personalities, and those in the press saying those three words. They have gotten on the bandwagon but had no substance to what they are saying.   I continue to pray that they get to know the One whom they are asking to bless this great country.

They can verbalize the first part of Psalms 67:1 (take a minute and look it up) but need to finish the rest of verse two. It should not be for selfish reasons that we ask God to bless our nation. It should be that we can show the world that salvation comes through our strength in believing in Him.

Each one of us should be proud to request for God to Bless America. We need to do it so we can help people in other nations around the world realize it goes farther than just might and power in tanks and weapons, but in the saving grace of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit that is with us.

When we realize why we want God to bless our great nation, then we will all want to be on that bandwagon for the rest of our lives!