From the Pastor’s Heart OP-ED BY DR. ROBERT KENNEDY
I spoke to my wife in the quietness of the morning and told her of the many subjects passing through my mind, but I cannot just settle on which to write. After a few moments of silence, she offered the title, “the greatest want of the world today.”
As soon as the words were from her lips, I immediately knew what she meant. In one of our college classes, we had to memorize a passage that reflected on the lives of Joseph and Daniel. This particular passage came from one of our textbooks called Education, written by one of the world’s most prolific spiritual writers.
Seemingly, my wife thought it relevant for the times in which we live. Here is the quote:
The greatest want of the world is the want of men – men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall (Ed. p. 57.3).
After memorizing the paragraph, we had to take note of the follow up to the quotable quote, namely:
But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature – the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man. (Ed. 57.4)
So much is packed in the two quotes that it would take a very long essay to reflect upon them. For example, some people might argue about the author’s use of the word “men” if they are distracted by not understanding the historical period and context in which they were written. If such were the case, I would remind them that if the passages were written today, the author would be sure to say, “The greatest want of the world today is the want of ‘people’ who will not be bought or sold.” The follow up would also read people:
1. Who in their inmost souls are genuine and honest
2. Who do not fear to call sin by its right name
3. Whose consciences are as true to duty as the needle to the pole
4. Who will stand for the right though the heavens fall
5. Who are of noble character
I do not require an essay to point to our land’s dire needs; the prevailing conditions tell enough. I cannot understand what I am hearing, even from some proclaimed Christians. While they argue that some of the individuals they are following have no character, at the same time, they say that such persons are good for them. In light of this contradiction, I want to ask such individuals the following seven questions:
1. Is character not important anymore?
2. Is integrity not significant anymore?
3. Is decency not meaningful anymore?
4. Is truthfulness not needed anymore?
5. Is faith not consequential anymore?
6. Is justice not essential anymore?
7. Is principle not desirable anymore?
The quotes I referenced and above and my follow up questions can be placed in the context of the rush to select a judge to replace Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Or the effort to fill the courts with judges of a particular ideology across the land, despite all the contradictions with the rules that were set a few years ago by the Senate.
The further concern is the report that the CDC has removed some of its guidelines for dealing with the pandemic because of purported pressure from the president. The issue is not of criticizing the senatorial leadership or the president, the judges or the court systems so much, but to point to the fact that we have come into a world where we are willing to accept wrong for right and evil for good. In essence, a world where integrity and character and truth and decency and honesty and justice do not matter.
Indeed, we are in a critical time in our world. The leaders of our land are allowed to run roughly shod over truth, justice, decency, honesty, and the other things that I have named. And while there are people in the land screaming about what is happening, there seems to be a deafening response. The screams are not making any difference. More than 200,000 people are dead from the COVID-19, and it does not seem to be a deep concern among the highest leaders in the land. Some seem to be saying we need to be talking about other things now than the loss of lives from the disease.
It makes me think of what one biblical prophet said: The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. (Isaiah 57:1 NIV)
God help us. I hardly know what else to say. But my conviction is that we really need some Divine help. We need a Christ intervention. He is the one that will fill up all our emptiness and bring us what we need. On Abraham Maslov’s taxonomy of needs, the spiritual is at the top. And it is the highest need that is thought to be fulfilled after all else is satisfied. But I say, at this time, we cannot wait until all else is fulfilled.
We need Christ and his spiritual intervention because we are about to destroy ourselves. I know everyone might not accept my simple suggestion. Still, I offer it, for except Christ transforms our characters and leads us on the path of integrity, justice, honesty, and decency, we are not going to have the kind of men and women to fill the greatest want of our world today.
