Reflections on Statesmanship
A series of essays
- The Shepherd as Model for the Statesman August 16, 2023The Shepherd as Model for the Statesman One of the great leaders in history is King David. We are naturally drawn to seek to understand how he became such an effective leader. I believe the key is where God told us: He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; He brought him from tending ...
- The Statesman Leading in Appealing for Mercy May 3, 2023The Statesman Leading in Appealing for Mercy Our Creator, the One we know as the God of the universe and the ultimate King over every king, created from one righteous man a nation that was to be a visible model to every other nation of what it means to live in obedience to Him and experience ...
- The Second Great Commandment Applied to the Statesman May 3, 2023The Second Great Commandment Applied to the Statesman The question continues to be The Second Great Commandment to us as humans is: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). The command “Love your neighbor” is generally quoted out of context. While it is true that we are commanded to love our neighbor, this instruction is much richer ...
- Does Faith in God Contribute to Making a Statesman? May 3, 2023Does Faith in God Contribute to Making a Statesman? The question continues to be asked among philosophers, historians and politicians alike: What is it that makes one a Statesman? Let us continue to look at this issue. King David, perhaps more than any other leader, strives to be the kind of leader God desires, and is ...
- The Statesman Stands in Awe of God’s Mercy December 28, 2022The Statesman Stands in Awe of God’s Mercy There is one aspect of the character of Almighty God that should cause us to fall in love with Him. It is His mercy. Mercy means to receive forgiveness that one does not deserve. We all recognize that: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ...
- The Statesman Recognizes Our Creator’s Instruction Manual December 28, 2022The Statesman Recognizes Our Creator’s Instruction Manual The first thing each of us does when we receive a new piece of equipment is to study the instruction manual. The reason we do this is to learn from the designer how that equipment was intended to function and how we can best achieve the results intended by ...
- The Statesman Displaying Mercy December 28, 2022The Statesman Displaying Mercy One of the most powerful concepts in the life of the statesman is mercy. This begins with receiving mercy. Understanding mercy entails understanding that we have forgiveness available to us that we do not automatically deserve. The most important mercy we will ever receive is from the God of the Universe when ...
- The Statesman’s Source of Hope September 6, 2022The Statesman’s Source of Hope Every governing official faces frustration over challenges in achieving goals. This is especially significant for the leader committed to doing good, which we often refer to as a Statesman. Such a leader is generally operating contrary to those surrounding in the governing process, who may be described as politicians according to ...
- The Statesman’s High Privilege to Be an Instrument in the Hands of Almighty God September 6, 2022The Statesman’s High Privilege to Be an Instrument in the Hands of Almighty God President Abraham Lincoln made a thought-provoking statement while in office: In the very responsible position in which I happen to be placed, being a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father, as I am. And he repeated the same idea on another occasion: I ...
- The Statesman’s Dream – Of the people, by the people, for the people September 6, 2022The Statesman’s Dream – Of the people, by the people, for the people A century and a half ago, a governing official said, “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” In this statement ...