Wednesday, November 3, 2010

WHAT THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS TELL US.

The results of the mid-term elections just completed tell us that the system still works, but now begins a new season for people of faith to work the system.

James A. Garfield, 20th President, reminded us that
"The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities."

Now we must begin the work of demanding that only intelligent, brave and pure Americans sit in the seats of government. We must rededicate ourselves to the proposition that the liberty we enjoy is a sacred stewardship for which we will be held accountable by God and our posterity. We must therefore be active participants in the institutions of American government from local school boards to state and national offices.

We begin with the premise that we are “One Nation Under God,” and we look for leaders who are themselves, “under God” to give us reason to hope that they will lead in ways that are consistent with that Judeo-Christian ethic that has produced the greatest nation the world has ever known.

This is not a time to be quiet about our faith. It is not a time to buy into the lie that “Two things you don’t talk about are politics and religion.” After all, what is more important than politics, which addresses the condition of our civic happiness, and religion which addresses our eternal well being? No, let’s be sure that if we only get a chance to talk about two things it will be politics and religion.

The work of turning around a nation that was steadily declining into a Socialistic state begins now. We will have another opportunity in 2012 to elect more Constitutionally-minded citizens to public office. In the meantime we must work to recapture those foundational principles and re-educate the citizenry so that liberty will be safeguarded. Remembering Thomas Jefferson’s admonishment, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” To which let me add “active participation.”