A Letter to Sandy

Sandy,

You asked for my Perspective. Right now, with the path our nation is following, it is difficult to keep things in Perspective. I want to cry out in frustration.

Perhaps that is the answer. To cry out. We should cry out to Our God and ask for His healing hand upon our country.

As a nation we have drifted so far from a Christian Biblical Perspective that it will take generations to return to the values upon which our country was founded. But, that is an answer of little faith.

God is the answer. He calls us to deliver that answer with the words of Jesus in Matthew 28: 19-20.

"...19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Ultimately, that is the answer. To win hearts and minds to Jesus -- one individual at a time. Then and only then will we turn this country around.

The present administration is filled with power-hungry individuals whose only god is power and whose religion is pragmatism. They may speak of principles, but they hold only to those principles which maintain or expand their power base.

It is cathartic to rail against the administration, but that is the wrong target. The target of our anger should be ourselves. We have failed to deliver the Word of Truth to those who need it desperately. We instead became complacent in our wealth and became the proverbial "frogs-in-a-pot of water." The heat was slowly adjusted and we are now in danger of death of our way of life.

That is my Perspective. We each must GO to our sphere of influence and win hearts and souls to the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Until we become a nation of Christians (note that I did not say a Christian nation), things will not change.

Thank you for your comment Sandy. I hope that you are not disappointed in my answer.

Panhandle Poet

Character: Measuring the Course

One of the marks of a great person is the willingness to stand by a higher ideal or measure than the average man. One of the things that I believe sets President George W. Bush above the crowd is his willingness to stand by his commitments and beliefs -- even in the face of opposition and attack. To some, this can be seen as a weakness.

I think it is a matter of personal integrity when you view such character as to whether it is strength or weakness. To me, a true friend is one who will stand by you no matter what. An honorable man is one who after giving his word will keep it -- even to his own detriment. Those who would change their mind at every whim or according to the most recent poll are less than a man.

It seems to be the vogue to focus on one's self-interest. It is what is taught us by television, movies, popular personalities and political candidates. It requires true character to define oneself in the realm of right and wrong. Right and wrong don't change. Circumstances can change, courses sometimes must be adjusted, but once committed one needs to stay the course even when it hurts to do so -- if it is the right thing to do.

The young Senator from Illinois has not learned that lesson. It is clear that his mindset is "all about me." It reminds me of a recent President who defined words based on whether they were in his own self interest. How could we even consider going back to that?