By
three methods we may learn wisdom;
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
second, by imitation, which is easiest;
and third, by experience, which is bitterest.
-- Confusius
Trouble!
We got trouble, my friends, right here in River City!
Trouble, trouble… trouble.
Politicians
these days seem to end every address they make with the
prayer… “… and God
Bless America!”
God hears.
Trouble.
We got trouble.
Well anyway,
that’s how George W. Bush always ended his speeches:
“God bless America.”
Let me share
with you something about God in my understanding:
If God were a person, He1 would be the most
honorable, kind, and compassionate person you’ve ever met.
He would also have patience beyond what you would have
found in anyone you ever knew.
He would love you without question or doubt.
He would be understanding to the degree that it would
move you deeply every time you were with him.
You would feel and correctly so, that he knew your
heart. He would be
your best friend. And
he would be smarter than you can imagine.
Amazingly so. And
He would always be willing to answer your deepest questions, and
teach you what you needed to know… and at the same time be
appropriate to you in every circumstance.
And it would make you cry just to hear him speak.
Trouble.
Trouble, my friend.
You know one
day a Republican Congressman was complaining to George W. Bush
about one of the more “onerous” portions of the Patriot
Act…
“I
don’t give a goddamn,” Bush retorted. “I’m the
President and the Commander-in-Chief. Do
it my way.”
“Mr. President,” one aide in the meeting said. “There is
a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the
Constitution.”
“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” Bush screamed
back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”
2
Oooooo.
It’s just a goddamned piece of paper?
Is that so…? Is
that so?
Trouble.
We got trouble my friends…
Where do you
think that goddamn piece of paper came from? How
do you think it came to be… this goddamned piece of paper?
You know what I think?
I think SOMEONE went to a lot of TROUBLE
to get us that piece of paper, that’s what I think.
A lot of trouble...
You know what else I think.
SOMEONE went to a lot of TROUBLE to get us the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights which was passed by the
General Assembly of the United Nations, on December 10, 1948.
How much trouble do you think it was to get every
representative from almost every nation on the planet to sign
that document? Oooo.
I bet you never thought about that… but I bet someone
went to a lot of trouble to get that done. A
LOT OF TROUBLE.
I think God
did bless America and does bless you.
But you know what?
Like I said, God is appropriate.
No matter what you’ve been told, I don’t believe He
gets angry, but I do think He is appropriate in how He
responds to what we do, to what He sees and hears. What
we do tells him how we think, what’s in our heart… what we
need to learn that we haven’t quite learned to grasp yet…
the gaps in our understanding that would be in our best
interest to know … and what lessons are up next for us to
learn… about Him... about ourselves…
what we still need to understand about compassion and
responsibility; what we still need to understand about honor
and respect for those who go to a lot of trouble
trying to help us be free, happy, and successful.
Trouble my
friend………… right
here in River City. Right here.
God is real
and not a myth. Maybe
you didn’t know that. Maybe
you haven’t thought about that, all that much.
Something you might want to think about.
_____________________________
1 I
experience God as “He,” but I don’t take offense if
others refer to God as “She.”
2 Bush
quote reported by Doug
Thompson, Capitol Hill Blue, 12-9-5
3
Link to The Constitution http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution
4
Link to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://www.gpln.com/udhr.html
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