LAUREL —
Though it can’t be easy to welcome a politician into one’s home, I was welcomed into countless living rooms while campaigning across Mississippi three years ago.
The vast majority of my encounters were more than civil, even enjoyable. Hundreds of doors were opened to a crusading stranger, and I was greeted as an extended part of numerous families. In retrospect, it all makes perfect sense. Perhaps we are really part of the same family – a kindred of Southerners bound together by common heritage, shared struggles, collective heartaches and a loving God.
If I had a dime for every sweet tea offered, matched only by kind words of encouragement, I would have ended the campaign a wealthy man. It was inspiring, to say the least.
Of course, not all on the campaign trail was perfect. There was one particular dwelling where the hospitality was exceeded by a peculiarly bellicose opinion.
It was a warm Saturday in July; the air was still and the humidity stifling. Sweating, I walked onto a porch expecting a handshake and smile.
Out stomped an older gentleman, looking somewhat familiar. Upon further examination, it was a person my family had known for many years.
He’d always been unusually polite. This time, however, he was different.
Before I was able to utter a plea for his support, he stopped me on the porch, looked at me with a scowl and vocalized in a heavy drawl, “I’m not voting for you.”
Smiling, as I tried not to betray my true emotions, I endeavored to ask a question in an attempt to unmask his true intentions.
“Might I ask why?” my voice quivered with anxiety.
He replied, “Because I’ve always known you to be a fine, young Christian man, and if we send you up there, you’ll turn out just like them.”
He continued to explain why he did not trust those “crooks” and he refused to “do that to me” – whatever “that” was.
I responded with my very best dumbfounded stare.
Though I disagreed with his opinion, I thanked him for his honesty and slowly walked back to the car, dejected.
Reflecting on our conversation, I’ve tried to empathize with him. Perhaps he was attempting to protect me, or maybe he was simply inclined to not support me. One thing was clear, however, his faith in government was misplaced years ago, along with his trust of politicians.
He left me with the traumatic impression – right or wrong – that my faith somehow disqualified me from public service, implying that Christians shouldn't enter the political arena since they don't possess the fortitude to resist evil temptations pervading the territory.
Simply put, I was troubled over his fearful reluctance, as a Christian, to actively engage the system.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the faith of our fathers had meaningful cultural significance. But the societal influence of Christianity has been sadly diminished. We’ve witnessed the results of its decline in academia, the entertainment industry and in government.
As many remain seemingly unwilling to become involved, ignoring their responsibility to critique the culture and influence the political marketplace of ideas, our beliefs continue to slide toward the fringe of society.
Fault lies with each of us, of course. When people of good conscience fail to preserve traditional values, cultural emptiness is encouraged.
Neglecting moral truth, many of our fellow citizens are now obsessed with an ethical philosophy that rejects revealed knowledge as well as theistic morality. Emphasizing the perfectibility of man, it is a philosophy which is alien to traditional belief systems but nevertheless increasingly influential. Though many Christians have become docile in their approach, adherents of this new secular direction are persistent and unrelenting, like waves crashing against a shore.
The end result of an inability to preserve traditional values, along with our reluctance to speak out against evil, has empowered some to ignore and even sustain immeasurable societal ills.
Evidence of a reluctance to engage is found throughout the republic; indeed, the moral order of its founders has been turned upside down.
While standing on that porch years ago, I should have been more outspoken. Looking back, I regret not defending our place in society.
I won't be silent again.
I look forward to hearing from you and I am honored to represent you in the Mississippi Senate. If I can ever help you in any way, please feel free to contact me at cmcdaniel@senate.ms.gov.
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Chris McDaniel Photo/File
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