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March 2, 2007 – There’s
the story of Tom Ridge.
The now-former Pennsylvania Governor who went on to become the first
head of Homeland Security resigned from the nation’s most important
post after a short tenure. While hundreds of thousands of American
troops were serving and sacrificing on the front lines for the
nation, he decided he wasn’t willing to serve. His reason: it was
too much of a sacrifice to accept the $150,000+ salary he earned as
head of Homeland Security.
Yes, you read correctly. Troops losing limps earning far less were
still serving. But for conservative Republican Tom Ridge, not only
wasn’t the honor of serving and protecting his nation enough, but a
$150,000 paycheck on top of that wasn’t enough. No, he decided he
could earn more in the private sector, so this man from God’s Own
Party abandoned his nation to seek out money for himself.
It’s been one of those arguments that has been largely silenced over
the past couple of decades in America. One group has claimed God’s
mantle loudly and publicly. A president was elected who claimed he
would simply “ask what Jesus would do.” All member of that other
party were deemed out of touch with God and anti-religion.
As a presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) touched on
the issue. He said that he was religious but didn’t like to talk
about it. He said that good works were what mattered, not claims of
goodness. He said it is about walking softly but carrying a big
stick.
Still, God’s mantle was said to sit solely in the hands of the
braggarts and stone throwers.
In the meantime, there was a man named Al Gore. Unlike Tom Ridge,
he had the privilege of serving his nation and planet taken away
from him against will. He had every right to abandon his fellow
Americans – and fellow humans. He could have followed Dick Cheney
and George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and countless politicians in
simply spending his post-service time rounding up cash.
He also could have followed the lead of people like former Senator
turned eternal presidential wannabe John Edwards and spent his time
plotting his selfish return to power, building up political
networks, crafting messages that could win. He could have followed
the once out of power GOP and focused on building a propaganda
network of liars in hopes of orchestrating his own thrust into power
ala Gingrich and the Republican Revolutionaries.
But what former Vice President Albert H. Gore chose instead was,
whether consciously or not, to follow the most basic of religions
teachings: do right, seek to follow God’s will, and the rest will
take care of itself.
Had Al Gore sat around plotting a return to power, surely it would
have been clumsy and ugly. He would have been one more annoying
proclaimer making an endless circuit around the country of promises,
fundraising asks, and hypotheticals – all the while accomplishing
nothing but self-promotion and serving no one and nothing but
himself and his political ambitions.
People are beginning to wonder what is so different about Al. How
did an awkward, calculating man who wore ten pounds of make-up in
one debate and changed personas in from day to day to try and appear
as he was told people wanted him to be, who chose the most abysmal
‘Democrat” of all, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), as his running
mate because he thought it would be a good calculation that would
win votes from conservatives, suddenly become “cool,” calm, and
seemingly settled.
The answer is clearly that Al Gore has found faith.
Not the faith of proclamation – ie “I am good and righteous and now
religious,” as George W. claimed.
All throughout the last campaign, Al Gore lacked faith that the best
man would win. He lacked faith in the American people that they
could overlook persona and choose the person that would serve the
nation best. He thought it was about him, something he had to do,
some manipulation he had to conjure. Plainly, he acted as if what
he really coveted was the power of the presidency and was willing to
put on any face necessary to get it.
And beyond all, he lacked faith in religions most basic message: do
good, serve God’s will, and the rest will take care of itself.
For the past half-a-decade, Al Gore put aside his personal despair
at having had an election stolen from him, he put aside personal
greed, he put aside personal goals and political plotting. Instead,
Al Gore simply chose to do what he thought was the most good he
could. Al Gore sought to serve righteousness and the people of the
planet with the tireless, selfless demeanor of a servant. He vowed
to go door to door if necessary.
Had he spent his time planning and plotting, Al Gore could not have
crafted such a perfect, red-carpeted path to the presidency. An
Oscar, to be followed by a global concert that will reach up to 2
billion, to be followed by a possible Nobel – which would be given
in the perfect timing for the political season, September (you know,
the timing the Bush admin. chose to roll out the “product” of an
Iraq invasion in.)
But even all these accolades are not what Al Gore has earned through
his service. There is one thing Americans don’t have in their
politicians, and that is trust. And the secret lesson of God’s
teachings are being displayed tenfold in Gore’s path. By having
served and sacrificed, nobody can question Al Gore’s intentions or
trustworthiness. Whether given the presidency or not, it is clear
that Al Gore will spend all his time and effort trying to help the
nation and the planet.
Al Gore spoke out against invading Iraq when it was “political
suicide” to do so. He has been the only major politician to say,
“9/11 Could Have – and Should Have – Been Prevented.” And he has
both determined the real most important issue of the day – Global
Warming – and tirelessly, and successfully, taken action to deal
with it.
The question always arises: ‘How will serving God’s will pay off
for me in the end?’ The path the Bush types choose, pursuit of
cash, braggary, self-righteousness, hate, and fear again and again
seems more likely to yield what one wants. Despite endless
teachings and examples to the opposite, again and again people are
drawn into Satan’s path – into the Dark Side of Darth Cheney. How
will sacrificing and serving pay off?
Al Gore’s example is just one more nod for real religion’s rule.
An Oscar, maybe a Nobel. But more importantly, having accomplished
something no one else on the planet could – shifting America’s and
the world’s will on the most important issue of the day. And in
doing so, his reward has been something that can’t be bought and is
more valuable that anything that could be earned at a fundraiser:
he has gained trust and respect.
Will Al Gore be less long-winded or dull-sounding should he run
again? Will he be less goofy? Will he be more ‘everyman’ and
connect?
The answer is: it no longer matters. People will say, ‘That’s just
Al.’ Like the goofy father, people don’t worry so much about him
being cool. A father you can trust, who will be there for you,
whose advice you know you should heed, that’s what matters in the
end.
Makeup couldn’t counter Al Gore’s lack of cool; consultants could
advise him out of it. But by serving God, Al has found the answer –
it has been rendered irrelevant.
The current administration came to power using the most powerful
tool in existence – God’s stamp of approval.
But it doesn’t seem, in the end, that God takes too kindly to people
using His stamp themselves. And, as with fairy tales and biblical
stories, the end in reality is once again the same: the bad lose,
the good triumph.
On top of everything else, Al Gore has now become a vessel for God’s
voice, as it proclaims, “Godly is as Godly does,” and reinforces the
age-old teachings that John Kerry spoke of last election: good
works are what matter, not proclamations of being good.
Powerful, faith-affirming, and beautiful on a scope only God can
create. So is the story of Al Gore. And just maybe, it is a great
enough story and act of kindness to help save a nation and a planet
in desperate need of salvation from evil forces within and about.
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