As I write this article, I have just finished reading Bob Woodward and Robert Costa's new book called "Peril." While it is a fascinating book, I saw a large parallel to the book by John Bolton, "The Room Where It Happened." In fact, while there are a few new revelations in "Peril," I would have to say that it merely reflects what a host of other writers have written about during this past year. Woodward and Costa do a better job of documenting their observations, but the other books also are very informative.
I'm not a politician and have no aspirations whatsoever to become one, so my comments must be taken from what I have observed during this past year in the political world. All of us have our moments of inquiry and observations leading to conclusions, some obviously true and some connived to fit our own predetermined objectives. Regardless, having a mutual respect for one another is what delineates the difference between being civil and what is divisive. If the truth were known, it is probably that no one has a market on truth.
However, as I was taught during my growing up years, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it probably is a duck. Donald Trump did many good things and many bad things, and, like all of the presidents before him, he will be judged through the eyes of history; but that does not excuse the political shenanigans of too many people in our government. What they say and do reflects upon all of the people in our country.
Forget President Trump for a moment and January 6th. What about all of the other people in Congress who voted against our Constitution in favor of throwing out the election results in order to get their way? What about the people in so many different states who have tried to disrupt an orderly transfer of leadership, and have more currently been voting to change election laws to support their personal agendas? And what about all of the people in our country right now who don't know who to trust?
The pandemic is a case in point. Whom should we trust? Congress, state governments, the FHA or CDC, the president, Dr. Fauci, the scientific community, or what we actually see going on around us? My experience suggests that except for a few of us holdouts, no one is wearing a mask these days. And yet, wearing masks practically wiped out the flu last season, which is something important in itself. I don't know of many people who would choose catching covid-19 and slowing dying over several months instead of getting vaccinated, or many people who would willingly condemn one of their loved ones to death by giving them the virus instead of wearing a mask. We may be confused, but I still believe most people have enough sense to make the right decisions if the issues are correct and the course of action is clear.
The events of January 6th should never have happened. The rule of law was abandoned, our Constitution was ignored, and too many people gave into the lynch mob mentality. I believe that the investigations currently going on will illuminate the problems with President Trump, but it is questionable whether they will also reveal the shortcomings of the men and women who worked with him. The current attempt to keep the truth from the American people will backfire, since the truth will come out one way or another, and any attempt to conceal it only encourages those seeking it to find it.
My heart goes out to the people in our country who are confused and wandering around without good leadership. That's not the way our country is supposed to operate. Jesus probably felt the same way when he looked around and saw all of the problems going on during his time, and said, "I am the Good Shepherd (Come follow me). We need to be praying for God to raise up good men and women in our country who will provide the leadership and moral guidance that so many are crying for these days.
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Robert Box has been a law enforcement chaplain for 29 years. He is a master-level chaplain with the International Conference of Police Chaplains and is an endorsed chaplain with the American Baptist Churches USA. He also currently serves as a deputy sheriff chaplain for the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Opinions expressed in the article are the opinions of the author and not the agencies he serves.