Sunday, September 15, 2002
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Sunday, September 15, 2002 |
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Patriotism By REV. DR.
KNOX HERNDON
I have a confession. In my mind's eye, I had surrendered to the enemy. How distasteful. How unspeakable. How unthinkable, but that's what I had done. I committed this sin in a dangerous place, in the depths of my mind. God's Word says, "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7. This terrible personal sin was that before 9/11, I had thought that due to the personal greed and self indulgence, disregard for God, and the media driven consumerism that seemed to grip the very heart of Americans, that we could never recover. It appeared to me that America was headed to hell in a handbasket floating toward Niagara Falls. It appeared to me that it wasn't a question of whether or not the handbasket would go over the falls, but it was just a matter of when. As I have written before, my family was, and is, extremely patriotic. If you wanted to get into a "red face" knock-down-drag out fight, you just run down the USA in their presence. Mom and Dad were from, as Tom Brokow wrote in his book, "the greatest generation." These were the folks who survived the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. These were folks who knew how to make ends meet and stretch a dollar a long way. These were the folks who knew how to repair something and make it last. I can remember when America began to change. I went into an auto parts store and asked for a "repair kit" for a part and seeing the parts man just stand there and smile and say, "Sir, no one repairs parts anymore." I then thought to myself, "Well, they ought to learn." I have a long-time, dear friend who fought all through the Korean and Vietnam War. His name is Wes Justus. I met Wes and his family while we were serving at Fort Benning in Columbus. Wes was talking to my father about the state of affairs in the US during the Vietnam protests and racial unrest of the late '60s and '70s. Wes, being one who had gallantly fought for this country, was very concerned watching it being torn apart on the evening news each night. Wes asked my father what he thought about the situation. Dad replied to Wes, "When the country needs them, Americans will rally around the flag." Dad and Mom were visionaries. I guess it was part of being one of those people from "the greatest generation." We saw some of this same greatness and sacrifice exhibited during the tragedy of 9/11, where men and women did not think of their personal safety but sacrificed their very lives for some they never even knew. Forgive me for I have sinned. I never dreamed that deep-seated freedom loving patriotism was still here. "When the Country needs them, they will rally around the flag." President Bush included in his speech at the Pentagon the scripture from the 23rd Psalm: "Yea, tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me." May God bless our country and the men and women who still hold to the values that have sustained us! The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is pastor of His House Community Church (SBC). The Rev. Greg Mausz is senior associate pastor. The Rev. Dr. Lydia Herndon is the Sunday School superintendent, Bible study coordinator and teacher. The church is just below Fayetteville, on Ga. Highway 85, a mile south of Ga. Highway 16, just below the fire station. Visitors welcome. Church office and prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail KHERN2365@aol.com. The church's new Web site is www.hishousecommunitychurch.com.
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