November 13, 2000

ELECTION DAY IS BEHIND US – OR IS IT?

NORMALLY, I PREFER TO TALK ABOUT LOCAL POLITICS.  AND, I HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THE OUTCOME OF OUR CITY, COUNTY AND STATE ISSUES.  SEE THESE SEPARATE COMMENTS ELSEWHERE ON MY WEBSITE.

BUT, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION UP IN THE AIR, I’D LIKE TO COMMENT ON IT.

NATIONALLY, WE SHOULD ALL BE WEARING BLACK AS I HEARD ONE GUEST ON A TALK SHOW SAY EARLIER TODAY.  THIS IS AN OMINOUS TIME FOR AMERICA. 

I BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE COME TO ACCEPT A RAZOR THIN VICTORY FOR OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.  HOWEVER, IT IS WHAT HAS FOLLOWED THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DESTROY OUR COUNTRY. 

WE SHOULD ALL BE WATCHING CLOSELY TO SEE HOW BOTH OF THESE POTENTIAL PRESIDENTS HANDLE THE COURSE WE ARE NOW ON.  BOTH HAVE A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP TO THIS NATION; LEADERSHIP THAT DOES NOT DIVIDE, BUT MENDS THE CHAOS AND THE RIOTING.  LEADERSHIP THAT STOPS THE CIVIL UNREST THAT IS BREWING.  LEADERSHIP THAT AVERTS CIVIL OUTBREAK THAT COULD RESULT IN CIVIL WARFARE.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING, AND TALK IS NOT LIMITED TO THE POLITICAL FANATICS.  AS I VISIT THE GROCERY STORE, SHOP FOR A DRESS FOR A FAMILY WEDDING, I AM HEARING PEOPLE SPEAK OUT; PEOPLE WHOM DON’T USUALLY TALK ‘POLITICS.’   AND, THEY ARE SPEAKING OUT WITH DEEP EMOTION, DEEP CONCERN ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION.   IF THIS CLASH SPURS PEOPLE TO RISE UP AND DEFEND AMERICA, PERHAPS SOME GOOD WILL COME OUT OF ALL OF THIS.  WE MUST NOT GIVE UP HOPE.

IN CLOSING I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS PRAYER THAT WAS GIVEN IN KANSAS AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THEIR SENATE.  IT IS NOW BEING CIRCULATED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND VIA E-MAIL ACROSS THE COUNTY.

THE E-MAIL I RECEIVED IS AS FOLLOWS:

“Dear Friends:

This prayer was given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate.

It seems the prayer upset some people.

when Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

‘Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.

We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbors’ possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, oh God, and know our hearts to day; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.  Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of your Son, the living Savior Jesus Christ.  AMEN.’

            The response was immediate.  A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.

In six short weeks, Central Christian church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.  The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea, among others.

            Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, ‘The Rest of the Story,’ and received a larger response to this than any other he has ever aired.”