Posted in General on September 16, 2009|
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On C-Span last night, a politician was trying to impress others by making sure they knew he had manners, trying to make sure they knew he was above outbursts, name calling, etc. He came across as disingenuous. Like one who thinks he speaks with authority but who comes across as shallow or hollow. Like one who has to speak louder because he has nothing to say. Like one who has to fill the air with noise because he has no substance within. You could tell he was not speaking with a heart of conviction – probably because, behind closed doors, he is a name caller and is given to outbursts and is even uglier to those across the aisle than the man with the outburst on national television. When you have to speak on an issue in which you lack integrity, it can be painfully obvious.
I wonder if this politician, who would never breach etiquette, would have been just as appalled at the outburst if the president was a political opponent? I wonder if he was as outspoken a few weeks ago when a fellow politician, known to have committed murder and escaped punishment, was practically canonized after his death? I wonder if he is just as appalled at how many babies have lost their lives since 1973 due to political and moral expediency? I wonder if he is appalled that thousands of children die every day due to starvation, lack of clean drinking water and lack of simple medicine, all of which he has easy access to?
I’m thankful for people who call things as they are. William Wilberforce comes to mind. I’m thankful for people who put function before form, substance before style, integrity before silence. May we all cheer for those who warn us, who do so at the peril of embarrassment or worse. How many babies would be alive if we hadn’t slowly grown silent? How many children would be alive if we hadn’t slowly closed our ears the cry of the hungry, thirsty and sick?
Christians striving for the American Dream wake up! We are accountable for our silence and inaction.
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