Piety is a concept that has long been ignored by Americans.
In reality, most Americans don’t understand the word. If one has a definition, it will likely be “religious service, or devout.”
Our word piety comes from the latin word pietas. The historical definition is “dutifulness; affection, love; loyalty; gratitude.” Notice the difference of the historical definition when compared to the modern.
The word from antiquity has a rich meaning that emphasizes the practical duties of man. The modern usage is somewhat ambiguous, leaving room for all manner of interpretation.
The cultures that have a good legacy in the world have all had some understanding of what it meant to be pious. To expand upon the definition, humanity has understood piety to be dutiful acceptance of the obligations placed upon them by their benefactors. This would include the obligation to show gratitude to God, the obligation to be good stewards of our resources and to show loyalty to those who have given to us.
As a Christian, I would say that we owe a debt of gratitude to God, as he has provided everything for us. What I find unfortunate is that we often stop there.
How has God provided? Providence has placed us all in different stations. We come from different parents, churches, communities, social classes, etc.
But we all come from somewhere. We are not autonomous creatures who created ourselves. We live in a world that we did not create, a nation we did not build, and with families that we did not start. We are all debtors in this regard.
I submit that in an age of impiety, we should respond with piety. In an age of tearing down, we should be building up. The reality of the matter is that impiety can’t last for many generations. As the people rage and destroy all that has been built for them, they will soon learn that they know nothing about how to rebuild.
We learn to build by the generational wisdom of the ages. Fathers learned from their fathers, mothers from their mothers and on it goes. When we see impiety in society, our response should be to continue learning how to build upon the work of our forebears. Legacy building and preservation is a worthwhile goal. When the left has decimated all that they hate, there will be nothing left for them. All that they will have learned is that when you have razed the earth, you harvest an ash heap.
Americans have long embraced the doctrine of individualism: the notion that human autonomy is the greatest good. Striving to be the best individuals we can be is futile if we cannot honor those that preceded us.
Piety is necessary and it begins in the home. If we find ourselves with bad examples – undeserving of emulation – we honor and show gratitude for whatever we can. If we find ourselves with good examples, we should be all the more ready to follow those footsteps.
With all due respect, we look to those who went before.
With the goal of earning respect, we look to the future.
Jeremy Wiggins writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. He is a resident of the Tallulah community.