Curse the darkness, or light a candle?

Last night I watched our country’s State of the Union Address on TV, where our president spoke for about an hour. It is no secret to anyone who knows me, as to where I stand on George Washington Bush Jr. It is also no secret where I stood on President Clinton and on Hillary running for president, should she get the nod.

I must say, however, that as a Christian, I must submit my authority to those placed over me, as joyful or bitter that may be to me personally. God’s Word is clear on this. If this is so, and I believe that it is so, then no matter who is in office, it is my duty, to pray for them and to do what I can for the betterment of our country. This does not exclude reasonable civil input from citizens who, also love the spirit of America.

Personally, I thought it very refreshing to hear an American president care deeply about the liberty and freedoms of another country. I very much enjoyed him listing the number of democracies that are now functioning around the world, as compared to years past. It is my prayer that this list gets longer and longer. I know I have certainly enjoyed my freedoms this country has to offer.

I strongly feel that, even though many people say they don’t like President Bush, he will go down in history as a great president. If this statement sounds foreign to you, get out your history book and read about the war years of Lincoln or Roosevelt.

I thought it interesting how Sen. Kennedy seemed to fall apart when he didn’t get his way on the conformation vote on Justice Alito. It appeared to me that he was saying in his rantings, “How dare American senators vote for a “conservative justice, how dare they?”

When all the politics and political spins are spun out, America stood true to its calling! God’s Word says, “It is better to light a candle, than to curse the darkness.” I strongly believe this is being done with this president, in this moment in history. All the cursers and negative behavior of many in our country will end up on the ash heap of history, as our nation lives up to its calling.

Once again, healthy debate is welcome and healthy for our democratic society and our system. Cursing the darkness is not, unless it is accomplished by constructive criticism.

Blessings, as we strive for that higher calling!