Mark Sanford, et al

An axiom heard in churches throughout the world was driven home with great force this week. “Don’t put your faith in any man because he will eventually fall short and disappoint you.” It was with great disappointment that I read the news regarding Mark Sanford this week. When I think of the damage this man has done to the country, to the cause of conservatism, to his family, to his wife, to his marriage, and to himself, I find it overwhelming.

As I read comments posted on the internet in response to the news, my dismay grew. The influence of the liberal news media frightened me. I could even see its mind controlling affects on conservatives who profess to be Christians. I posted a comment on one of them. This morning I woke up with the thought that what I had done was not enough. And so, I must write.

This morning when I woke and started thinking about the nature of man, I thought about the movie, The Dark Crystal. The movie is a dark fantasy directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz and starred puppets. Good is represented by a race of puppets known as the urRu while evil is represented by a race of puppets known as the Skeksis. We learn that the urRu and the Skeksis came into being when a ascendant race known as the urSkeks cracked a large crystal, causing the urSkeks to divide into the urRu and the Skeksis. When the star puppet, Jen, a Gelfling, replaces the missing shard of the crystal, the urRu and Skeksis are reunited.

It occurred to me that this closely follows my understanding of men and women. Not that one is good and the other is bad, but rather we started as one and were split into two distinct groups. My education regarding Genesis 2:18-25 started many years ago when I was first taught that Eve was created from a rib of Adam. Not from a foot bone so that man could rule over her, or from a head bone so that she could rule over him. Being taken from his side showed that they were to work together. Later, I learned that the Hebrew word, tsalah, which is translated as “rib” could and probably should be translated as “side.” I was still wrapping my head around Adam running around missing one half of his rib cage when another teacher led me to the thought of a side of beef, which is actually half of the cow. Looking back to Genesis 1:27, I have come to the belief that Adam was created as a being containing the best of both male and female. God literally split Adam into two people, Adam and Eve. Man and Woman.

I find it amazing how closely Henson and Oz follow this concept. The ending is wrong, as I believe we are ultimately completed by Christ, not rejoining with a member of the opposite sex. However, being of the married persuasion, I do feel a sense of completeness. I believe this is why Jesus used the symbolism of marriage and brides to illustrate the relationship He wants to have with the Church.

Men are interesting. Based on my own personal experiences and observation of the men I know, I have come to the conclusion that puberty has no affect on a certain portion of our brains. While we see the vast majority of our being pass from being a child to being an adult, there is one small corner which doesn’t transition. To varying degrees, men control this child. But if it were not there, how would you explain boats, hang gliders, wide screen televisions, sports heroes, that 1941 Chevy out in my garage? I believe they are all controlled outlets of that portion of us which did not grow up.

A problem arises when a man does not exercise enough or proper control of this child portion of his being. Children are great. Uncontrolled children can be a horror. It could very well be that failure to control that inner child created selfish, self-centered, spoiled brats in the form of Hitler, Hussein, Clinton, Sanford, et al.

Of course, Clinton and Sanford are forever tied via the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Sanford voted for three of the four articles of impeachment regarding Clinton. Sanford cited “moral legitimacy” as a factor in the impeachment. And now he finds himself being morally illegitimate.

This is where the news media did such an efficient job of shaping what Americans and the world think. If you ask people why Bill Clinton was impeached, chances are excellent the answer will be that he had an affair. While I find it unacceptable behavior, an affair is not an impeachable event.

What is an impeachable event, and what was one of the reasons for Bill Clinton being impeached, is lying under oath. One of the cornerstones of our judicial systems is the concept that witnesses will tell the truth during legal proceedings. As President, Bill Clinton was the chief law enforcement officer in the land. When he lied under oath, he undermined this cornerstone. In my mind, he is an uncontrolled, spoiled brat who eroded a large portion of the foundation put forth by the founders of this country.

If all Mark Sanford did was have an affair, there is no legal reason for him to leave office. I believe he should leave office. For the good of his marriage, his state, and the Republican Party, he should resign and leave public life, permanently.

On the other hand, if he broke the law and/or used the power of his office to facilitate the affair, the legislative branch of South Carolina’s government should work to remove him from office, if he does not leave voluntarily.

However, until the facts come out, we should not try this man in the public forum. Unfortunately, our news media is already shaping the minds of the American public. Please, please seine the truth out of the muck presented by the press.

In the meantime, have we handed over our children’s and grandchildren’s checkbooks to yet another man who seems to have no self control over that part of him which has not grown up? As we look at Mark Sanford and reflect on Bill Clinton, we should use these experiences to size up those we choose to lead us into the future.