NO. 1028 - THE SACRED TRUST!

No. 1028

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE SACRED TRUST!

The American journalist John Gunther once said that “America is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea.” Of course that good idea is freedom.
Read and hear these words inscribed on the Statute of Liberty, that stands at the entrance to the harbor of New York City: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” The early patriots fought and won our independence from Great Britain, and there have been several million men and women since then who have died to defend it.
There are many blessings that come to us just to be called an American, but the greatest of all is freedom, because without freedom we can no longer be who we are. There is a concept we do not often hear in debates or public dialogue these days that is very important to our way of life and that is something we call “The Sacred Trust.” Do you know what this means and where is comes from? To define it, please allow me to break it down a bit. The definition of the word “sacred” is “set apart or dedicated to religious use: hallowed.” Of course, we all know what the word “trust” means.
To break it down into laymen’s language the “Sacred Trust’ comes from a heritage where a person’s word was his bond. You could always know and believe that this person was telling the truth and you could trust him to do what he said he was going to do. To be sure, you can build a marriage, a home, a business, and a nation when you have the vast majority of people who are committed to live by this code of conduct. Now, this question please: Can we trust most people today, especially those who are elected to public office, to always tell the truth and do what they say they are going to do? And the “sacred” part means that when they don’t, they will be held accountable by God.
Our elected officials are very important because we elect them to represent us, the very bulwark of a democracy. When we elect a candidate to office, at a prescribed day and time, they are later “sworn-in” which is to say they promise to execute the duties of their office faithfully and responsibly. At this point I feel it may be of interest to have the words that the U.S. Constitution sets forth to have the President of the United States sworn into office. These can be found in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Adding the phrase “So help me God” is optional.
What is most important to realize is that, in a democracy, we all have a stake. When we elect someone to office, regardless of where he or she happens to be in our country, if they don’t keep their word and tell the truth, we will all pay a price for it.
Here are two words that I hope you will keep in mind as they impact every single one of us. These words are “Independent” and “Interdependent.” We are independent because we get to make our own choices and decisions, but are also interdependent because the actions of others definitely affect us.
It is not my nature to be critical or judgmental, but rather I always want to be an encourager. If you hold an elected or appointed office, I hope you will give some serious thought to what I have been saying and do your best to never violate the Sacred Trust.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)