Faithful and gracious Lord, Thou has granted us the joy of beholding our son confess his faith in Thee, the only true God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We beseech Thee to keep him faithful to Thee all the days of his life.
O Lord, we, too, dedicate our lives again to Thee and ask Thee to give us strength and grace to live closer to Thee, who has so graciously been with us throughout these many years. We confess that we have not always served Thee as we ought; forgive us and grant that we may walk daily in Thy presence as an example of Christian devotion and consecrated living to our son. Preserve and keep us in Thy grace, and make our home Thy dwelling place, where Thy Word governs our every thought, word, and deed.
O Lord, let this be a day of rejoicing to all who confess Thee. We ask this is Jesus’ name. Amen.
It was a patchwork quilt of events and ideas, movements and personalities, if there ever was one. Our headlines changed and moved with the fast-pace nature of a video camera.
In August of 1990 Saddam Hussein and his Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait. The United States and its allies issued an ultimatum for his withdrawal, setting a deadline of January 15, 1991 for Iraq to pull out.
Iraq didn’t.
So our armed forces gathered themselves together and turned an operation called “Desert Storm” loose.
In the aftermath of the Boston marathon bombings, the attention of the media and the American public quickly turned toward the faith and political background of Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Reporters honed in on Tamerlan’s apparently deep Muslim faith, especially analyzing if that faith had become radicalized in the last few years. Fair or not, pundits, experts, and the American public wondered—did the faith of the two alleged bombers have anything to do with the atrocity that occurred? If so, what did that mean?
It was yet another instance of American ideals and radical Islam clashing with one another. Since September 11, 2001, American attitudes toward the religion of Islam have been under increased investigation. Controversies surrounding al Qaeda action around the world (such as the recent attempt in Canada), the Ground Zero Mosque, the protests over the film The Innocence of Muslims, Pastor Terry Jones threatening to burn a Quran, or any number of proposed laws (like the one in Oklahoma) to ban Sharia Law in the United States, have all entered into the collective American consciousness. So what does America think about Islam?
It was the summer of ’86 and I had just finished my sophomore year of college. That was when I first “met” William F. Buckley, Jr. One of my best friends had invited me to his home and when I arrived he called me into his family’s living room where he was watching a television program. The first thing I remember was noticing some guy I had never seen before slouched in his chair holding what looked like a notebook and interviewing some other guy I had never seen before. It wasn’t riveting entertainment for someone who was looking for something a bit more exciting to do with his time.
My friend asked me if I had ever seen this show before. I quickly said that I hadn’t and so he began to share with me who Buckley was and what the program was about. We ended up watching the rest of it together.
Going through my high school and college years with Ronald Reagan in the White House was very formative for me. Now, through Buckley, I would begin getting to know and better understand many of the foundational principles that undergirded our president’s philosophy of governing.
Of course, I don’t want to sound like it was all about being intensely serious. The truth is, Buckley was just plain fun to watch. I grew to love his masterful use of the English language, watching his cross-examinations of his television guests, and laughing out loud at his many witticisms. I wanted more.
I eventually subscribed to National Review and then purchased my first book authored by Buckley, Right Reason. Every summer my friend and I would not only watch Firing Line together, but would also make sure to watch the special two-hour Firing Line debates. (Yes, I realize how much a “nerd light” this casts me in, but Lord help me, it was a good time that I treasured.)
I kept up with Buckley through seminary and after I graduated, in the Fall of 1992, I was finally able to meet my hero in person. He was speaking on behalf of a hospital here in Jacksonville. After he spoke there was a reception where I had the opportunity to introduce myself and get a picture with him.
It was sad news a couple of years ago when I learned of Buckley’s passing. Over the years I had grown to appreciate not only those things that appeal to a pompous young Republican, but those infinitely more important and lasting qualities such as his generosity, faith, and tireless efforts for all that he was committed to.
So why have I taken this walk down memory lane almost three years after his death? Because Fox News has been airing a six-part series on the history of the conservative movement in America, much of which has focused on Buckley. I’ve also been rereading Buckley’s Up From Liberalism. All of this created a desire within me to share a little about someone I consider worth remembering.
Below are a few of the better YouTube tributes to Buckley. Enjoy.
PS – Thanks E.K. I owe you.
PSS – Here’s a link to the original post that I wrote upon hearing of his death. It includes many links to articles, etc., by folk who actually knew him.
Faithful and gracious Lord, Thou has granted us the joy of beholding our son confess his faith in Thee, the only true God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We beseech Thee to keep him faithful to Thee all the days of his life.
