Even a Blind Hog . . . .

You know the rest. Like many mini-homilies, it has the cruel ring of truth. Howard Stern is not one of my favorite media personalities. I find him overbearing, sometimes gutter minded, and a person who appeals more to a teenage boy mentality than adult. I do, however, defend his right to speak his mind whether I agree or not. He needs little encouragement to do so.

This particular segment came up and I reluctantly admit that it is priceless. It is a verification of a long held belief about the motivation to back a specific candidate. It’s short and will give you special insight into the minds of those who support Obamunism.

Early in our journey with Christ, we are often imbued with strong emotional feelings which drive us to associate with believers, teachers, preachers, congregations and then spread the word. We soon discover that emotion is insufficient to share the gospel with others. It is then we turn to our scriptures for support; to learn the essential truths about the Figure to whom we assign our devotion. We may then study, discuss, share, and continue the learning process until we draw our last breath. It is then we are able to not only objectify our Master but become a capable witness.

It’s not enough to isolate individual events in the gospel story. Yes, walking on water, feeding a multitude, resurrection of the dead, and retention of the stories of various miracles is an important part of the reason we turn our eyes and hearts to Christ as we do. More important is linking these events to the total experience and then in turn realizing how they affect our life for eternity. Our baptism is not an end but rather a scant beginning. I believe it is our growth from there which leads us to the ultimate association with the Divine.

The folks interviewed on the link above are obviously driven only by one very small aspect of the candidate. Given the answers to the interviewer’s questions we may conclude that they only share one common and emotional belief. The easy path is to dismiss their responses to ignorance and a failure of self-education. I seriously doubt they have done enough research to understand or for that matter, even hear what the candidate has promised for them. It is far more likely that they, in their minds, look at the TV screen and see a mirror image with a far better vocabulary.

As I inventory the public figures for whom I have tremendous respect, I find Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, William Raspberry, Tiger Woods, J.C. Watts, Michael Jordan, and many others who embody the characteristics which I see as important. I admire them because of the qualities which they project in their lives and their well-reasoned approach to life. I would happily vote for any of them for any office they might seek. I would do so because of demonstrated accomplishment and attitude and for no other reason. I would also encourage you to do the same. Each has a repertoire of good works, public service, faith, and belief in America.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, none are currently running for office. Too bad! Only one, Thomas, has a position in government and only one, Watts, has previously held one. To accept skin color as either an endorsement or a disqualifier is just plain foolishness. It is degrading to view it either way. I have lived long enough to remember seeing “colored only” signs on restroom doors, “whites only” on public water fountains (that’s ‘bubblers’ for you cheese heads,) and hotels with single race signs. I would fight to the death to avoid the recurrence of such signage. This emphasis on skin color is a cancer on the body of America. Dare I say that to exploit it is “unpatriotic?” Yes, I shall, and note that it is the antithesis of everything I hold dear about my country.

While there is no mandated “right to vote,” there is certainly a responsibility as a citizen. There is also an unlegislated duty to understand the issues, fit them to your own moral code and beliefs and act accordingly. The sightless pig finds his reward by chance. We have the opportunity to form our opinions by research and prayer. Please do both.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon