There are so many things I am thankful for today on the Fourth of July. So many things to be thankful for in our nation’s history.
But with great blessings comes great responsibility. I’m thankful for every person in government who is working for peace, working for justice, working to speak for those with no voice.
May God’s guidance and blessings fall on this nation — along with every other nation of the world.
(taken from my 05 blog)
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Last night we went to see “As You Like it” at the Summer Shakespeare Festival at ACU. I was reminded again of how fortunate we are to have an Adam Hester-led theater department. And Bill R., you rock in Shakespeare, my friend.
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I was invited to join a group of ministry leaders in Chicago for a meeting with Barack Obama, but couldn’t go because we were in Turkey. But here’s Terry Mattingly’s report of that gathering.
All that really tells us is that Obama knows how to play people. But we already knew that. qb
Thoughtful words from John McCain in NPR’s “This I Believe” series.
Here’s part of it:
Years later, I saw an example of honor in the most surprising of places. As a scared American prisoner of war in Vietnam, I was tied in torture ropes by my tormentors and left alone in an empty room to suffer through the night. Later in the evening, a guard I had never spoken to entered the room and silently loosened the ropes to relieve my suffering. Just before morning, that same guard came back and re-tightened the ropes before his less humanitarian comrades returned. He never said a word to me. Some months later on a Christmas morning, as I stood alone in the prison courtyard, that same guard walked up to me and stood next to me for a few moments. Then with his sandal, the guard drew a cross in the dirt. We stood wordlessly there for a minute or two, venerating the cross, until the guard rubbed it out and walked away.
The words of Sen. McCain are straightforward, he does not dissimulate nor dance around the subject. He is definite and clear about his beliefs and purposes. imho, therein lies the enormous difference between the present two candidates seeking our highest office.
For instance, he further writes in the piece Mike linked:
My determination to act with honor and integrity impels me to work in service to my country. I have believed that the means to real happiness and the true worth of a person is measured by how faithfully we serve a cause greater than our self-interest. In America, we celebrate the virtues of the quiet hero — the modest man who does his duty without complaint or expectation of praise; the man who listens closely for the call of his country, and when she calls, he answers without reservation, not for fame or reward, but for love.
I have been an imperfect servant of my country and my mistakes rightly humble me. I have tried to live by these principles of honor, faith and service because I want my children to live by them as well. I hope to be a good example to them so that when their generation takes our place, they will make better decisions and continue to pave the path towards righteousness and freedom.
qb - I’m again convinced that you and I were separated at birth.
Meetings such as the one you described are part of the reason we see more and more normally quite liberal voters leaning toward a centrist view and probable vote. They see a dance being played out to win votes and they aren’t lured in. Seems even in modern times, actions and the people you surround yourself with speak far louder than words. The centrist liberals (odd term I know) should be quite happy with a McCain presidency. Conservatives on the other hand aren’t so pleased. It’s going to be an interesting few years. Regardless which of the 2 candidates win the office, it’s going to be a difficult few years with the oil struggle that is causing a domino effect on our economy.
I often wonder what happened to the John McCain who wrote these words and to whom people are referring. Back in 2000 and before, he truly seemed like a man with integrity, having overcome his scandals with the Keating 5. And one would have thought, having been maligned in the worst way by Karl Rove et al (the infamous “black love-child” push-poll), that he would have become even more focused on integrity…
But this is certainly not the John McCain we are seeing this election year. This McCain has reversed his position on a massive number of principled stands he has previously taken: torture, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, constitutional issues, bipartisanship. I certainly once would have been happy with McCain, but those days have evaporated as McCain has turned to pandering and politicking in their worst forms. He is now neither a centrist nor a maverick, and his election would mark a dark and unfortunate choice for the country.
qb - Next time you’re coming for a class at ACU, let me know. We’ll grab lunch together.
I just finished NT Wrights “Surprised By Hope”. I thought that by now you would have offered us more of your insights on his book.
qb- if you accept Mike’s offer beware if he shows up with a man by the name of David Dillman.
Clint–Please share with us—Who is David Dillman, & why should qb be aware????
ee - Clint used to live here and was a member of Highland (as is David). Guessing they’re friends and it was tongue-in-cheek.
Excellent thoughts by Scot McKnight. “Dobson on Obama.” (Keep in mind Dobson said he cannot and will not vote for John McCain.) See http://www.jesuscreed.org . . . .
Kris and I listened last night to James Dobson’s criticisms of Barack Obama’s 2006 speech. I found it on the “Listen to Daily Broadcast”. I don’t know if it is archived, but I did my best to listen carefully and fairly. What to say?
The scuffle was made public yesterday on the internet, and I first read it on CNN. Essentially, Obama spoke about how to be religious and live out one’s faith in a pluralistic society and do so in a way that respects the views of others. Dobson essentially accused Obama of distorting the Bible and the Christian faith and how Christians ought to live in our society.
I hope you can listen to Dobson’s talk; listen to how he represents what Obama was saying. Listen carefully. Judge for yourself. Weigh in here.
Here’s my take: Dobson and his companion commentator routinely distorted what Obama was saying by rephrasing and capturing what he said in their own context and for their own agendas. For instance, Obama hypothesized (Dobson didn’t get this) what would happen if we moved all nonChristians out of our society. Even then, he was suggesting, we’d have diversity. Then, Obama asked, if we lived out the Bible which parts would we choose? Would it be Leviticus or Deuteronomy — and he brings up shell fish and stoning one’s son — or would it be the Sermon on the Mount, which Obama stated would be difficult for the Defense Dept to apply. Dobson and his guest got into how the OT laws aren’t for today.
What they miss here is that Obama is talking about how to live in a pluralistic society.
Here are the words of Obama: “Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?” Obama said. “Would we go with James Dobson’s or Al Sharpton’s?”
Dobson’s response here was to use the word “equate” — as if Obama equated the two. Dobson’s show suggested that inasmuch as Sharpton was a racial bigot that he (Dobson) was being accused of that, which is filling in the lines with things Obama did not say. This was an unfair and uncharitable representation of what Obama was saying. Obama was giving two examples, two completely at odds versions of the Christian faith in our world. Obama doesn’t equate the two; he connects the two as two kinds, two ends of a spectrum perhaps. Diversity will still obtain is his point.
My big point is that Dobson is doing Christians, evangelical Christians, and the country a disservice in misrepresenting the intent of Obama’s comments.
Look, this is not about my defense of Obama for President; I still don’t know who I will vote for. This is about public civility and discourse, and we’ll never get anywhere if we don’t represent the other person accurately.
ee- if you must know David is one of the few political Christians that I respect and Mike is right. There was no yellow face with a tongue in cheek.
Response-able…do what we can. Let God rule over what we can not!
“May God’s guidance and blessings fall on this nation — along with every other nation of the world.”
Thank you for saying this! Too often we become too arrogant and seem to think that God can and will only “favor” the U.S.
Not much of a response for Dobson. I used to really like him and I still believe he has some good things to say. But he seems so out of touch and strategic in nature. I find myself wishing he just wouldn’t say anything anymore.
I consider myself a conservative Christian, but I can’t think of a single national conservative Christian leader with any influence that inspires me right now. Kinda disheartening with all of the dynamic voices out there on the religious left. Is the right leaving me or did I leave the right?