I came across this article and I needed to share it. “AMERICAN RENEWAL MUST BEGIN WITH LOVE” https://tomklingenstein.com/american-renewal-must-begin-with-love-of-america/.

“Yet a family is hardly built on obligation alone. A healthy family is founded, ordered, governed, and sustained by love. It is love that binds its members together, forges their sense of responsibility, guides their conduct, and directs their proper care for one another. And it is love that directs us to rightly set our concern for these particular people above others, in the proper ordo amoris, or order of loves.”

“Whom does government serve? This is perhaps the most pressing question of politics. In theory the leadership class that rules us is supposed to represent and govern on behalf of the common people and their best interests. This is meant to be precisely what distinguishes our regimes from tyranny, “tyranny” in the classical lexicon meaning rule for private gain rather than for the common good. But no one can truly represent or act rightly for the wellbeing of another if they bear no particular concern for them. It is love, and only love, that can really guarantee that anyone acts in the best interest of another when they could do otherwise. Love is the only force capable of genuinely liberating us from selfishness.“

“WHOM DOES THE GOVERNMENT SERVE?” Is absolutely the number one question (in my opinion) about politics and what needs to be answered, before someone runs for office. In my last post, I decided not to run for Mayor of Gettysburg. https://julianalove.com/2025/04/12/one-can-only-hope/. I thought it was a battle not worth fighting, because the odds were too much against me winning. But then, something happened. I received messages and calls from people in this town that are truly hurting. My love and compassion compelled me to reconsider. One cannot have compassion without love.

“Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 

“I am willing; be cleansed.”

Mark 1:41 (NKJV)

But look at the verse right before that.

“Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him,

“If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

Mark 1:40 (NKJV)

Two words stand out to me. The first word is compassion – “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others; a social feeling that motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental, or emotional pains of others.” The second word is willing – ready, eager, or prepared to do something.” I may have compassion, but if I am not willing to do something, my compassion means nothing. This is why love must be at the heart of both compassion and willing, because it is love that causes something to be done. Knowing I have the ability to do something and the possibility of making a difference and I don’t at least try, I would just be cold hearted and selfish woman. Do I want to run for Mayor of Gettysburg? In its current shape? No! I do not want to run. But I love the town, history, reenactors, residents, tourists, and the business owners. I think the hate has reached an all time high in this town and across the country. But what was stated by N.S. Lyons in the title of the article, “AMERICAN RENEWAL MUST BEGIN WITH LOVE” is an absolute fact. Because without love, nothing can good can happen. Hate will overtake the country and it will eventually collapse in on itself. This is what I stated in my last article about Gettysburg. https://julianalove.com/2025/04/12/one-can-only-hope/

“Well, the nation is certainly not united, not now! Nazi signs are not family friendly either. But there is no one to lead the charge to tell them that because the current leaders are on their side. So, the division continues, the hate continues, the vile profanity continues, and the rage continues. I for one, will just drive a different direction and stay away from it. Let them. Let them to the point the town collapses in on itself because the tourists, reenactors and some of the residents no longer want to be here. Maybe then, it will be time to bring back the glory days of Gettysburg. One can only hope!“

Did I intend to just overlook all of the above, and not at least try to do anything about it? Yep! But when little old ladies can’t go to church on Sunday because they cannot afford to pay for parking, due to a fixed income, my compassion for her demanded I become willing. No one should have to pay for parking on Sunday. No one who is elderly, or handicapped should have to pay for parking… period!

But it is the greed of the current leadership that has overtaken their hearts, to the point, it has choked out any sense of love for those they are obligated to serve!

The current Mayor does not return phone calls of those who are in business here, suffering from the current “Hand’s Off” protestors. I am all for the right to a peaceful protest. But there again, since when is carrying “Nazi” signs and “Racist” signs, family friendly and peaceful? The Mayor has the obligation to remove “nuisances,” from off the public streets and sidewalks. “A nuisance is something that causes harm, injury, annoyance, or inconvenience to others.” This is actually written in the Mayor’s description. But the current Gettysburg Administration will not do a damn thing. They are the ones that approved the permit for all four quadrants of the Town Square. There again, I am all for a peaceful protest. I am not for the nuisances that have come with the current and ongoing one!

Is it a coincidence that my last name is, “Love“? At this point, I do not believe so. I believe God is raising up love for such a time as this. Even Martin Luther King Jr., once stated:

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an

enemy into a friend.”

Truly, it all goes back to these following verses:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

1 John 4:7-11 (NKJV)

“Love does no harm to a neighbor.”

Romans 13:10 (NKJV)

Without God’s love in our hearts, can we truly be moved with compassion and then be willing to make a difference? It will take love to renew not just America, but also the world, and love first comes from above!

We need to go back to God! This is what is truly wrong with the world, hearts without Him. But because of my compassion for the people in this town, I am willing to do all I can, to serve the people and to help make a difference. I pray that I forever dwell, “in the secret place of the Most High.” (Psalm 91:1 NKJV)

This, so I will always have HIS HEART for the people!

Juliana Love

References: www.biblegateway.com; www.dictionary.com; Google; https://tomklingenstein.com/american-renewal-must-begin-with-love-of-america/