Monday; January8

In preparation for yesterday’s sermon I reviewed John Kennedy’s Inaugural Address from 1961.  As I listened to the new leader two things stood out to me.  The first one was how the scope of his message was timeless – it could have been delivered today.  The second was that it was full of hope.  The world in which Kennedy had been called to lead was filled with communist aggression, unequal civil rights, poverty and international political chaos, yet he did not back away from the challenge.  There are so many quotable moments in that speech, but one that is often overlooked states, “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.  I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.  I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation.  The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it – and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.”.  The young president would not concede defeat before exerting the effort to be victorious.
It is generally acknowledged that we live in a challenging (and often evil) world.  Our environment can be brutal, but that doesn’t mean that we are destined to be defeated.  Just because we confront a formidable foe doesn’t mean that we can’t be victorious.  Our life experiences have prepared for this conflict and we have access to the power of God – the question is, “Do we have the faith that leads to victory?”.
President Kennedy described “the energy, the faith and the devotion” that could light the world.  That is our challenge and our calling today – not as a nation of Americans, but as a people of God.
          Think About It!

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