John 316 Marshall

Washington and the Frenchman Lafayette loved each other. They developed almost a father/son relationship, but strongly disagreed on the issue of slavery. It grieves me to read of how Washington dealt with slaves at the end of the Revolutionary War. He made sure as many slaves as possible that had been freed by the British were returned to their bondage. We're talking thousands of African Americans. After the War, Lafayette asked Washington to enter a joint venture in which they would start a plantation that would be successfully operated by the labor of freed former slaves. The Frenchman believed this would be a good example for others, and could lead to the freeing of slaves in America. Washington refused the offer. Lafayette was heartbroken. He later wrote, "I would never have drawn my sword in the cause of America, if I could have conceived that thereby I was founding a land of slavery." www.john316marshall.com

From the first, Christmas has been hard to envisions without thinking of the Magi. In early catacomb art about Jesus' birth, the most frequent painting-motif was the Magi. The star in their story is the star of their story, but the essential fact we often overlook is that they also followed the Bible. First, they had to have read in the ancient scrolls the predictions about the coming King of the Jews. Without Holy Writ, they would not have known what the star pointed to. Second, once they arrived in Israel, the star disappeared. They had to ask for help from Herod, who consulted the religious leaders. They  pointed Herod to a passage the prophet Micah (5:2) had written 700 years earlier. He predicted that Bethlehem, the small-town birthplace of King David, would also be the birthplace of the Messiah. The star did re-appear, but d on't miss the honor God placed on His Word. God gave the Magi a star to help them start their way to Christ, but made sure even they could not comple

I never speak publicly about current political figures, but history is a different matter. Twenty-six years later, I still think we did President Bush a huge disservice by not re-electing him President. He was not perfect. He would sometimes say unwise things. He was unable to come out from under Reagan's shadow. He appointed an iffy Supreme Court Justice. He broke his "Read my lips; no more taxes" promise. As I look back over a quarter of a century ago, I guess I have to wonder; does a person have to be perfect to be President? Bush was an American hero when a teenager. He was shot down as a pilot in WW2 at age 20. He held as many significant political positions as anyone in modern times. He was part of the longest, most powerful family dynasty in our history—a combined total of 20 years as President or Vice-President. I have been blessed by the response of the American people to President Bush at his death. It is a comfort to know he and his beloved Barbara ar