Posted by
peripheral on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:25:15 AM
From My Perspective - - -
The
world seems to be adrift in a fog while trying to navigate through a
maze that appears to be constantly changing. Searching for a horizon,
one can detect no beacon - - no lighthouse - - no navigational guidance
to see one to safety. The error is compounded when one discovers there
was no preparation for a dense fog and no anticipation of a maze.
Everyone assumed there would always be a beacon to guide one away from
the treacherous rocks and shoals. Additionally, there was no
anticipation of or preparation for a Tsunami and all the devastation
and disruption that it caused.
As recovery takes place and
rebuilding continues, it is sad to conceive of “An Enemy Within” that
unexpectedly begins to corrupt from within. USA Today – March 18th,
2009 reports: “Drywall From China Blamed For Problems In Homes.” The
article states the following: “Real estate agent Felix Martinez thought
he'd found his dream house when he bought the 3,500-square-foot beauty
in Homestead, Fla., two years ago. Then…his large-screen TV
mysteriously failed. Next, the air conditioner went. His bath towels
smelled like rotten eggs. Visitors noted an odor in the house. Martinez
says he's suffered new sinus problems and sleep apnea. His wife and son
sneeze a lot. The walls in the home…were built with the same kind of
Chinese-made drywall that tests have shown emit sulfur gases that
corrode copper coils and electrical and plumbing components. Similar
problems have been linked to hundreds of Florida homes. Tens of
thousands of homes there and in other states could be affected…The
issue also has revived concerns about quality-control procedures of
U.S. companies that use Chinese-made products, following episodes in
recent years involving contaminated toothpaste and pet-food
ingredients, lead-tainted toys and defective tires imported from
China…Chinese drywall imports started in significant amounts in 2005 as
a result of a shortage driven by the booming housing market and
rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. In addition to lawsuits
on behalf of Florida homeowners, a class-action lawsuit was recently
filed by an Alabama home builder that has made air conditioning repairs
on two dozen Alabama homes…A class-action lawsuit has also been filed
on behalf of Louisiana homeowners…We know for a fact that this product
is in Virginia, Louisiana and California…The breadth of the problem is
just unfolding…”
One of the issues that needs to admitted and
remedied is a growing absence of conscience. Profit and Gain – Greed
Principles – are the guiding force in terms of what is produced and
what is done. Accountability has been sacrificed for self
aggrandizement. Integrity is obscured by rationalization. The
spinelessness is seen in the growing number of recreants throughout the
spectrum of our culture. The one who promotes himself by writing about
The Audacity of Hope is correct in the use of one word, namely,
“Audacity”!
Consider these things with me - - Even Jesus Christ had a recreant in His inner-circle of 12 Disciples. The Recreant was Judas – “apostate; false; unfaithful”!As John Milton would write: “Who, for so many benefits received, turned recreant to God, ingrate and false.” We
are faced with a dearth (a scarce supply; a lack) of those who are
marked by integrity and faithfulness to a right and just cause. This
Enemy Within will have greater consequence than Sheet Rock from China.
In both the stewardship of government, as well as The Christian Cause –
there is a demonstrated failure to preserve the foundations and to
adhere to the basic purposeful principles for life. The
Apostle Paul would remind all of the value and benefit to stewardship
when he wrote in I Corinthians 4:1-2, “It is REQUIRED in stewards that
one be found FAITHFUL.” The New Living Translation states: “…a
person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful...” The
Message translates it: “The requirements for a good guide are
reliability and accurate knowledge.” Sixty years ago, Rodgers and
Hammerstein wrote and produced the Musical, South Pacific. One of the
romantic love songs included these lyrics: “Who can explain it, “…Who
can tell you why Fools give you reasons, Wise men never try…Once you
have found her, Never let her go.” That’s what we need in terms of
conscience, integrity, accountability, decency, faithfulness – Once you
have found it, NEVER let it go!