Presidential Lessons

"Let all bitterness and wrath

and anger and clamor and slander be put away"

Ephesians 4:31

Today was an exciting day for me. 

Well, mostly only theoretically.  After getting together with a sweet friend for a chat, I came home and did the same fairly routine things I always do.  Home, kids, work.... you know the drill...

But I watched a little more TV than usual, and that was because of the excitement, which was the dedication of the Presidential Library of George W. Bush, in Dallas, Texas.  The library will open to the public on May 1.

This is exciting to me for two reasons.  The first is that I now have another Presidential library to visit.  I've been to several homes/libraries of U.S. Presidents, including Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Grant, Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, and one or both of the Roosevelts.  I was pretty young, then, so I'd have to double check with my folks.  Although I guess if I can't remember, I need to go back.

We have family living in Texas now {Hey, y'all!} so I'm sure we'll be in Texas sometime this year or next, and I look forward to visiting the Bush library.  Maybe both Bush's.  (Bushes'?  Bushs'?)  And maybe Lyndon Johnson's, too.  My kids can't get enough. 

Well, that's not quite true.  As a matter of fact, they may have already had enough...

The other thing that made this day cool was seeing those who attended the dedication.  It was one of those historic events that brings our current president together with our former presidents. And it reminded me of one of the things I love most about America. 

Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, George HW Bush (in a wheelchair and sporting red socks!) and Jimmy Carter ~ photo credit: dallasnews.com

The Carters, the Clintons, the Bush 41's, the Bush 43's, the Obamas ~ photo credit: nationaljournal.com

The presidential campaigns can be fierce, competitive, and even embarrassing to watch.  But the transitions are smooth.  There is a mutual respect among these men, despite how they might feel about each other's politics, principles, or decisions. 

Clinton, Bush 43 and Obama ~ photo credit: nytimes.com

I know it's the same thing where a lot of you live, too.  But it's not that way all over the world.  It hasn't always been that way in America either.  John Adams left Washington before Thomas Jefferson got there, because he didn't want to see him.  But those two had issues their whole political lives. 

photo credit: netaonline.org

There's a great lesson here, about understanding, respect and forgiveness.

Well, maybe not here:

But here:

And here:

Michelle and Barack Obama, Barbara (41) Bush ~ photo credit: washingtonpost.com

There are people in my life I don't agree with, when it comes to politics, or social issues.  As a matter of fact, I think sometimes people who are passionate about things become friends with other passionate people, even if they don't agree.  There's just something about a good debate.

That's even true among people of faith. There are differences of opinion on everything from style of music to observation of the Sabbath, and those differences can make for some great discussion, even if opinions never meld.

As any of those men who gathered at the Bush library today would tell you, it's about focusing on the common ground.  In this case, love of country.   In the case of Christians, it's love of God.  Paul dealt with this in a few of his epistles (Corinthians, Ephesians).  It helps me to look differently as those with whom I disagree, even in my own church.  To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, "He who unites us is stronger than he who would divide us."  And to quote the apostle Paul, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

~ "For where two or three

 are gathered together in My name, 

I am there in the midst of them" ~

Matthew 18:20

~