Good morning, Church Family and Friends,
On a November day in 1863, the citizens of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, held a special memorial service which will long be remembered in American history. Invited to address the gathering were the president of the United States and a statesman from Massachusetts named Edward Everett. Everett preceded the president on the platform and spoke for two hours. His address was so eloquent that the crowd cheered with wild enthusiasm. When Everett had finished, the president was introduced. He read a 267-word speech and took his seat.
The following morning, newspapers across the land carried a report of the Gettysburg observance. In most papers, Everett was acclaimed as one of America’s finest orators. The president, however, was treated far less kindly. One editorial writer said, “The president is a cunning clown. He is the original gorilla. Those who seek the ape are fools to go to Africa when he can be found in the White House in Washington.” Today the world has a different estimate of those two speakers on that long-ago day in Gettysburg. Few Americans remember Everett’s speech, but even schoolchildren can quote from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Seldom has anyone been more criticized than Lincoln in his day. It is true, of course, that not many of us make it through this world without being subjected to the harsh judgment of others. Yet it’s also true that only through the testing fires of criticism do we grow. It’s a foolish leader who only surrounds himself with “yes men.” It’s been said that everyone should have at least two friends: one who agrees with him and another who does not. They are equally valuable. The friend who is agreeable and supportive will enable us to maintain our balance, and the other friend will keep us from becoming complacent. Often, it’s in the blast of criticism that we learn most about ourselves.
Hugh Latimer, the famed English preacher, and reformer was once invited to speak before the king of England. As he was preparing for the appearance, he said later, “I heard an inner voice saying, ‘Latimer, be careful what you say today because you will speak before the king.’ But after a while, I heard another voice saying, ‘Latimer, be careful what you say today because you will be speaking before the King of Kings.'”
We all stand in a higher court than the one where we are judged by our fellow men and women. It is the verdict of that higher court that really counts. The secret to healthy living is to have a clear conscience no matter what the judgment of our detractors may be. When you learn to live at that level, you can listen to your critics, learn from them, and still live at peace.
Let’s choose to walk the high road,
Bruce Jones, Pastor
Imagine Church
