Black Robe Regiment Reflections on 8/28

On an unusually fair-weathered Summer Saturday in Washington, D.C., conservative radio and television host Glenn Beck reignited an historic movement to help restore the Founders' original vision of America -- a religious and moral nation.

Standing among monuments dedicated to some of the country's most influential figures, 240 clergymen and women of various faiths locked arms to show solidarity behind Beck's message, symbolically representing the new Black Robe Regiment -- a grassroots movement of clergy from across the country working to restore honor from the pulpit.

Since the August 28 rally, a number of Regiment clergy have reflected on the rally and their experiences.  Rabbi Aryeh Spero, writing for Human Events, recollects the warm welcome he received.  "The crowd cheered and applauded my Yarmulke. They yelled out: 'Shalom. Shabbat Shalom. We love Israel. Thank you for coming…' The affection and warmth of the crowd was palpable and undeniable."

Rabbi Spero dismisses accusations of bigotry and suggests faithful Americans "no longer should be cowed" by liberal accusations of intolerance.

Jim Garlow, senior pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, took to CNN's religion blog and commended the rally's call to decency.  "Sometime around 1960, morals jumped off the bridge without first attaching the bungee cord," he writes.

"In macro tones, the tragedy in our culture is the incapacity of many to grasp that our current tensions are no longer merely 'right vs. left' but more seriously 'right vs. wrong.'"

In addition to Saturday's 8/28 rally, Beck and Wallbuilders founder/history guru David Barton welcomed numerous clergy members Friday evening at the Kennedy Center.  Billed as "an evening of prayer and spiritual renewal," the "Divine Destiny" event inspired Dudley C. Rutherford, senior pastor of the 10,000-member Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, Calif.

"Not once, did I hear the word Democrat or Republican. Not once, did I hear the name of our current or former President.  It was simply a call to our Nation to turn back to God. … I’m telling you tonight was like the beginning of a Revival for our country…"  Rutherford wrote.

The speeches given at the"Restoring Honor" rally of August 28 or subsequent gatherings will not long be remembered.  But what's clear is that the message of moral and spiritual renewal has resonated with a significant portion of the country -- those Americans who, with God's guidance, are looking to restore the "city upon a hill."

And in the spirit and tradition of their rebellious forebears, today's Black Robe Regiment is leading the way.