10 comments

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  Robert Hruzek

  8 months ago

  You make a strong point here, Marcus. Ultimately WE are responsible for who we choose to govern us. And yes, they answer to us. But we DO have to become engaged enough to demand the best from them.
  
  But there are times I despair of the democratic method. Wasn't that how Israel chose Saul to be their king? Because they liked him, not because he was qualified.
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  Ray Fowler

  8 months ago

  Good words on staying engaged in life. On another note, I was driving into work this morning about 6:20 a.m. when I was pleasantly surprised to hear Howard Butt come on the radio talking about Laity Lodge and thehighcalling.org. And I'm up in Massachusetts!
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  Real Live Preacher

  8 months ago

  I did not know that! thanks.
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  L.L. Barkat

  8 months ago

  And in our government, there are really multiple pilots. Which, in a way, is both comforting and scary. Comforting because it differs from a dictatorship or even a kingship where one person really does exert excessive control and vision. Scary because it means that when we get ourselves onto the rocks, it means that a whole lot of prominent people pitched in to steer us that way.
  
  Still, the "common people" have a lot of power when it comes to how we're ultimately steered. Yes, I even consider the economic crisis when I say this. In other words, maybe when we embrace the thought that we can live on the edge of our finances and buy more than we could ever pay for on credit, maybe we too have created part of the problem.
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  goodwordediting

  8 months ago

  Robert, Israel elected a king for life. We only elect people for four years. There's comfort in that sometimes.
  
  Ray, good to see you again here! And I'm glad you're hearing the radio messages up there. They play on nearly 1000 stations across the country. No agenda except to offer encouragement to people on their way to work.
  
  RLP, glad I could help fill your head with more trivia or questionable value.
  
  LL, the analogy breaks down at a certain point, but you are definitely onto something about the economic crisis. Is it possible that massive consumer debt could weaken an economy? This stuff doesn't seem like rocket science to me.
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  B. Currant

  8 months ago

  That stuff about the Roman ships and their relationship to the word "government" is simply fascinating. (What can I say... I love words, history, and the history of words.)
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  Erica Hale

  8 months ago

  Be engaged....Amen! This is a fascinating and thoughtful piece, I totally agree that we all need to be active and engaged...otherwise, we are giving up our power and ceding our rights for no better reason then that we don't want to take the time to be involved. Great post!
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  Ellen Weber

  8 months ago

  Great sailing metaphor. Let's hope the light house is beaming strong with a change in government here - so that we can begin to move through the choppy waters ahead together! Thanks Marcus!
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  Sally Ferguson

  8 months ago

  Marcus,
  I find comfort in the thought that the ship won't move without the oarsmen. If our ship were able to steer into the waters by itself, that would be dictatorship!
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  Sam Van Eman

  8 months ago

  marcus, your post is clear, pointed, assembled and memorable. i like to read pieces like this.
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