If you have ever read any church history or remember when you went to what used to be called Sunday School, you probably read the story of John Wesley who founded the great Methodist Church.

He writes of how he was in the pew of a church and somehow the message struck deep into his heart and he writes, “My heart was strangely warmed.” You know the rest of the story. He got on horseback and rode hundreds of miles sharing Christ with literally thousands of people.

There seems to be a common thread in the personalities of these men. Certainly the thread of Christ in their lives is the most important motivating and unifying issue, but there is also another deep issue that is always there. It is the issue of integrity.

Have you ever been in a situation where you have been struggling so long that you start to believe that being “down and out” is the norm? You feel that this is the way it is, and that feeling triumphant or on top of the situation is not normal?

That is the way I was beginning to feel about our president and the White House. I don't want to feel this way. I was taught to respect the office of the presidency. I was a military man for 30 years. The president was, and is, my commander and chief.

Throughout his administration, I have learned to never expect anything decent to come out his presidency... I know when his mouth is moving, he is saying something that will only be to his advantage and support the issue of power, and his power only.

I often think of Billy Graham, who is probably the most respected evangelist of the last century, and into this millennium. When you annalize his ministry, you might say, “What is it about this man that has related to more people than any evangelist in history?” There have certainly been many evangelists who have shared God's word in a powerful and meaningful way, but there is something different about Billy Graham.

What do you think it is?

I believe it is his total integrity. He and his organization have been investigated over and over again and his books have been opened over and over again. He has consistently come up clean over and over again.

For years he took a salary instead of a percentage of the funds that were raised. I have even had some strong disagreement with some of my pastor friends over this issue. I still feel there is something very unlike Jesus to have men in the ministry making millions and millions of dollars which go into their personal coffers.

I also know it to be equally wrong for congregations to purposely keep their pastors poor and not pay them a decent salary when they certainly can.

When I was watching the Republican National Convention on television my heart was “strangely warmed” to ideas deep inside my soul that I thought I would not feel again. I had been lulled by the current administration in the White House to believe that down and out and the lack of integrity were normal.

God forbid!

After a wonderful, admittedly conservative, convention, it was interesting to hear the responses from people who have been raised by the media, the soap operas and the Jerry Springers of life, who, I might add, have never had an original thought. They naturally wouldn't recognize integrity if it even got close to them. When interviewed by the liberal media after Dick Cheny beautifully and refreshingly quoted the truth, they naturally opened their mouths and recited the mantras of the liberal media.

I feel deep in my soul that we must just ride out the storm and change things in November.

P.S. For years I was a registered Southern Democrat who never left the party, but the party left me.

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the Fayette County School System, and a former Army chaplain. The church is currently meeting in the American Legion Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in Fayetteville, but not for long. It will be moving to a new location near Senioa in August. Prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail Khern2365@aol.com.

Back to News Home Page | Back to the top of the page