A Challenge for All Americans

Be the People, by Carol Swain, presents a stinging indictment of American culture. The problem within American culture rests with each individual. We longingly gaze toward those in elected positions to lead us; however, we fail to understand the implications that leadership and positions are not the same. In a sense, we have abdicated leadership to others because they hold titles; and in doing so, we have allowed them to escape consequences of political double-speak. We can, and should, ask pointed questions of our elected officials, but we must do so in respectful tones. America was built upon the ability to host robust and rigorous debate while still being able to coexist in the greatest country of the world. Unfortunately, this ability is no longer an accepted practice.

She weaves back and forth through difficult topics (abortion, immigration, racial relations, etc.) and presents details that are heart-wrenching. Her ultimate conclusion, the right one, is that we have forsaken God and have received exactly what we wanted.

I must confess that, although much of what the author wrote resonates with me, the title and the material of the book did not coincide very well. Yes, Swain provided tremendous research within her chapters, but the overall connection to “being the people” was missed in those detailed chapters. I expected a vibrant plan for turning around the prevalent cultural relativism of our day; however, the denouement failed to deliver that stunning conclusion. While a series of steps were outlined in the last chapter, those final thoughts paled in comparison to the depth of the prior chapters.

I would love to discuss this further with the author over coffee because I believe, based upon her interesting American story, that our conversation would be intellectually stimulating. Her work is challenging to read – and quite shocking – yet it is one that I will pass along to inspire others to be the people that our country desperately needs.


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Smiling at Your Enemies...

I Samuel 2:1 is often considered the prayer or praise song of Hannah. She begged the Lord for a child and made a vow with the Lord - give me a son and I will leave him at the tabernacle to serve You the remainder of his life. God honored that prayer and Hannah's opening phrase is interesting: "I smile at my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation." Say what? How does that apply?

Culturally, a barren Hebrew woman was considered cursed of the Lord. In ancient times, if a husband had a wife that did not bear him children, he often married another wife. Hannah's husband did likewise and his second wife bore him many children (including sons). While Elkanah, Hannah's husband loved her more, the second wife berated Hannah frequently. At every turn, she maliciously reminded Hannah that she has sons while Hannah had none. These attacks hurt Hannah and drove her to find comfort in the Lord.

Hannah's reflection on the situation provides us a wonderful example to follow -- when berated by our enemies. Turn to God who will comfort you. Her words are valuable in that they reveal a needed perspective. Rather than focusing on the difficulty, we should be seeing the Savior. Anything that happens to us has been approved by the Sovereign God of the Universe to produce something better in us. However, we can choose to allow those events to make us bitter. Hannah did not do so because she ran to God.

When hurt by enemies, offer a smile. Jesus, much later, in the New Testament commands us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Loving our enemies is something so outrageous that it will attract the attention of others. They, in turn, will want to know why or how we can do so; and that opens the door to share our faith. The typical response - hating your enemies - is expected of the world, and leaders thrive in the extraordinary.

Be a leader. Be a Christian example. Smile at your enemies and, in doing so, share the love of Jesus.