I sat on my sister's porch this morning thinking.
Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for health and human services secretary after suffering criticism over his failure to pay more than $130,000 in taxes.
Nancy Killefer, who failed for a year and a half to pay employment taxes on household help, has withdrawn her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government. In 2005 the District of Columbia government filed a tax lien on her home for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help.
Timothy Geithner was confirmed as Treasury secretary despite belatedly paying $34,000 in income taxes.
I sure hope we can find some honest people to lead this nation.
Genesis 18:20-32 - Then the Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" The Lord said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
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"I sure hope we can find some honest people to lead this nation."
Indeed ! and I hope we can find some people who esteem honesty above competency, on both sides of the political divide. If we are not looking for honest people as earnestly as we are looking for competent people, how can we hope to find them when they are so few and far between?
Posted by: Mark McClean | February 04, 2009 at 09:39 AM
Dear Mr. Beeson:
My name is Tainna and live in Miami..(i'm sure with the cold weather up there,this sound "beach like weather", but is farely cold here today.). I'm a Christ follower and I have to say that from here, far away from you, every day that I read your blog ,as part of the blogs I use to grow as a leader and in my personal live; I feel very honored to share your thoughts in this topics ( as many others, of course ). . I share the same concern, and I just love the scripture you just gave to this wholwe situation.Thank you.great post, one more time.BTW, I used your example in my office the other day, on the post "a sad day", in witch I also prayed and cry for the 8 people released in your ministry, but also, helped me to keep growing in the understanding of KINGDOM BUILDER mentallity.In that post, you said that " or we recognize limits or the desire get unleashed".. great teaching that helped me to make desicions this week in my own work place.
Best regards,
Tainna
Posted by: tainna | February 04, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Interesting concepts we may want to consider:
Forgiveness.
Recognizing that we are all flawed creatures (sinners) in His eyes.
Recognizing that no one is "all bad" and certainly no one is "all good."
I would take comfort from the fact that we know about their shortcomings now. Two of them decided not to pursue government service.
Your blog got more publicity from the Wesley Report so I don't know how many times you bemoaned the much worse lack of ethics (personal and public) during the last eight years. Did you write a post when we found out that the people in charge of our public lands were literally having orgies with the people who wanted to lease them? What about when the person in charge of the whole department remodeled the bathroom he would use for only a few more weeks at a cost of hundreds of thousands? What about a governor running for Vice-President who charged the taxpayers of her state for the onerous expenses involved in staying in her own house?
Accountability, forgiveness and behavior modification are all needed.
Posted by: Creed Pogue | February 04, 2009 at 03:36 PM
Right now I'm having a difficult time even knowing what honesty looks like. The most honest people I have known were outside the church.
Posted by: johnny Carr | February 04, 2009 at 07:51 PM
It is apparent that more than an economic crisis we suffer from an integrity crisis. To speak and to act with wisdom and integrity comes from above. Sadly, submission and obedience to God is viewed with contempt.
Keep doing what you do Mark. The answer is Jesus! Always has been and always will be.
I am praying for an authentic spiritual awakening in our country.
Posted by: Val Qualey | February 05, 2009 at 09:18 AM
I like that picture of you Pastor Beeson.It shows the more down to earth man you are. At church you're in a suit and tie most of the time and your mouth is always open,lol! This picture shows you can be calm and still and it looks like you're in deep thought.
I have been thinking about my own failures this week. God open a door for me and gave me a oppotunity that I have waited for, and even dreamed about and I slammed it in his face. And when you slam the door in God's face. It hurts you more then him. I have come to realise just how much I truly am my own worse enemy. Tommorrow is a new day! I'm going to need a double sermon and double worship. I love our worship team. I thank God for them.
Someone told me recently "You put Mark Beeson way too high. He's just a man!" Yeah I know. I know you're just a man. But you're one of the best men I have ever known. I'm glad you decide to give your life to Jesus Christ in the 6th grade.
Posted by: johnny Carr | February 07, 2009 at 10:51 PM
No disrespect meant here...but do are saying here that the Bush administration was full of honest men? Is any administration full of honest men? Noone is perfect...men of God, as men of politics are still men. I am getting the feeling here that as so many conservsatives, they are waiting for Obama to slip up. I thought we were supposed to forgive and not point fingers and not judge people. These people stepped down, our President stepped down. I feel there are other issues to worry about then these few who are no longer in office. I just would like clarity on the point being made here.
Posted by: mary | February 08, 2009 at 01:46 AM
"The most honest people I have known have been outside the church" That was a statement I made when I was having a bad day. That's when I'm known to be the biggest liar or cry baby. Oh well I'm only human. I bleed just like everyone else. I have met alot of honest people at gcc. Kathy Guy's honesty can hurt sometimes but it's the truth. I thank God for that woman! She Rocks!
Posted by: johnny Carr | February 12, 2009 at 10:02 PM