AN ENEMY WITHIN

From My Perspective - - -

The world seems to be adrift in a fog while trying to navigate through a maze that appears to be constantly changing. Searching for a horizon, one can detect no beacon - - no lighthouse - - no navigational guidance to see one to safety. The error is compounded when one discovers there was no preparation for a dense fog and no anticipation of a maze. Everyone assumed there would always be a beacon to guide one away from the treacherous rocks and shoals. Additionally, there was no anticipation of or preparation for a Tsunami and all the devastation and disruption that it caused.

As recovery takes place and rebuilding continues, it is sad to conceive of “An Enemy Within” that unexpectedly begins to corrupt from within. USA Today – March 18^th, 2009 reports: “Drywall From China Blamed For Problems In Homes.” The article states the following: “Real estate agent Felix Martinez thought he'd found his dream house when he bought the 3,500-square-foot beauty in Homestead, Fla., two years ago. Then…his large-screen TV mysteriously failed. Next, the air conditioner went. His bath towels smelled like rotten eggs. Visitors noted an odor in the house. Martinez says he's suffered new sinus problems and sleep apnea. His wife and son sneeze a lot. The walls in the home…were built with the same kind of Chinese-made drywall that tests have shown emit sulfur gases that corrode copper coils and electrical and plumbing components. Similar problems have been linked to hundreds of Florida homes. Tens of thousands of homes there and in other states could be affected…The issue also has revived concerns about quality-control procedures of U.S. companies that use Chinese-made products, following episodes in recent years involving contaminated toothpaste and pet-food ingredients, lead-tainted toys and defective tires imported from China…Chinese drywall imports started in significant amounts in 2005 as a result of a shortage driven by the booming housing market and rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. In addition to lawsuits on behalf of Florida homeowners, a class-action lawsuit was recently filed by an Alabama home builder that has made air conditioning repairs on two dozen Alabama homes…A class-action lawsuit has also been filed on behalf of Louisiana homeowners…We know for a fact that this product is in Virginia, Louisiana and California…The breadth of the problem is just unfolding…”

One of the issues that needs to admitted and remedied is a growing absence of conscience. Profit and Gain – Greed Principles – are the guiding force in terms of what is produced and what is done. Accountability has been sacrificed for self aggrandizement. Integrity is obscured by rationalization. The spinelessness is seen in the growing number of recreants throughout the spectrum of our culture. The one who promotes himself by writing about The Audacity of Hope is correct in the use of one word, namely, “Audacity”!

Consider these things with me - - Even Jesus Christ had a recreant in His inner-circle of 12 Disciples. The Recreant was Judas – “apostate; false; unfaithful”! As John Milton would write: “Who, for so many benefits received, turned recreant to God, ingrate and false.” We are faced with a dearth (a scarce supply; a lack) of those who are marked by integrity and faithfulness to a right and just cause. This Enemy Within will have greater consequence than Sheet Rock from China. In both the stewardship of government, as well as The Christian Cause – there is a demonstrated failure to preserve the foundations and to adhere to the basic purposeful principles for life. The Apostle Paul would remind all of the value and benefit to stewardship when he wrote in I Corinthians 4:1-2, “It is REQUIRED in stewards that one be found FAITHFUL.” The New Living Translation states: “…a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful...” The Message translates it: “The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge.” Sixty years ago, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote and produced the Musical, South Pacific. One of the romantic love songs included these lyrics: “Who can explain it, “…Who can tell you why Fools give you reasons, Wise men never try…Once you have found her, Never let her go.” That’s what we need in terms of conscience, integrity, accountability, decency, faithfulness – Once you have found it, NEVER let it go!