Fearless Not Fearful
Back in 2008, I had the privilege of going to New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty. I remember reading the plaque,”Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
As I think about these words, it reminds me of the America that I grew up learning about in history class. It conjures the images of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King as revolutionaries who fought for the rights of all people.
King spoke about his dream. His speech echoed a familiar phrase said centuries before, “We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created equally. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, including: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
When I think of our nation, I think of men and women who dare to believe in a better America. Who call us to something greater than ourselves. As a Christian man who has a disability, this election has found me without a choice to make.
My values are both Republican and Democrat. I disagree with the Republican party’s stance on border control, but I also disagree with the Democrats on abortion. No one on either side is talking about disability issues. You may hear each candidate talk about wounded soldiers which is a very important issue, but what about those born with disabilities. My community sometimes is weak and vulnerable to the naked eye. I fear that the candidates representing America are all about the strong and not the weak.
During this election, will we be the American people who are going to allow fear to dictate who we vote for? Both parties are campaigning to fill you with so much fear that you will vote for the opposite.
As a Christian, I have to ask myself, what is driving my decisions? If you look closely at Dr. King’s Have a Dream” speech, it’s almost prophetic. Going to the Bible and looking at people like Moses and Jesus shows us neither one stood for the status quo.
When Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, he said things like, “the Law says to not murder, but I say don’t look at a man with anger in your heart.” Moses saw the injustice in Egypt and was used by God to deliver Israel from slavery.
Do we have politicians that are willing to stand up and fight for injustice and inequality regardless of the party they represent? The men in the Bible and the great men and women throughout history looked fear in the eye and relied on God to be their strength. That, in my mind, is a real leader.
Only a bold man or woman who knows their own weaknesses and relies on God is equipped to lead. Who will I vote for in November? I’m sad to say, that as of right now my voice is not being represented. Therefore, I may not be able to vote. I would challenge each and every one of my fellow Americans to not allow fear to take away from the dream of making America a better place. We need a president that is fearless. Not one that uses fear to get votes.
