The race for the March 5 primary election is hitting the home stretch and it is most definitely heating up, and in my humble opinion, not in a good way. I am not so naive that there is not an understanding that politics can most times be an ugly business. Candidates for any office invest a significant amount of their time in an effort to win the seat they are running for, and in these days and time they also spend large amounts of money to get there as well. I often wonder what possesses a person to run for a public office. You can hope that most do it in the name of serving their constituents. You can hope that most do it out of a calling to make a difference in the world they live in. You might even hope that those who run for a political office do so out of a pride in the freedoms we hold in this country to vote and to hold an office.

Common sense tells us that some do so out of a need to feel power, or even financial gain. And let’s not kid ourselves, when it comes to holding a political office on a state or national level, there are financial gains to be made.

Whatever their reasons may be, I believe running for an office and then holding an office comes with a plethora of responsibilities, and a higher standard to live by. Much like those who are called to the ministry, I believe our elected officials should be held to a higher standard. There should be truth in their words, integrity in their way of living, and the basic concepts of living by the precepts found in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Don’t run for or hold a political office in this great land of ours if the core guidelines found in the Bible and the documents that our country are founded upon are not yours.

The Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The things that stick out the most to me from those bedrock words are the words Tranquility and Posterity.

I don’t know about you but I don’t feel a whole lot of tranquility in our country today, and definitley not from our elected officials. It seems to me that instead of peace and quiet (tranquility) we have a cup overflowing with unrest and turmoil. The back and forth between our presidential candidates is so comical to me that we may as well be watching a Three Stooges movie. To me, it makes a mockery of our beliefs and freedoms and makes us, supposedly the most powerful nation on the planet, an embarassment.

Then comes the word posterity. When it comes to our posterity, the next generations, our future….what are we leaving them? What examples are we setting to guide them when it is their turn to run things? In my eyes, not a very good one. How can we expect our kids and grandkids to be responsible, upstanding leaders in the future if the only examples they have to go by are the stand up comedy show they see now between Biden and Trump?

But, I am not much on national politics. I tend to care about the politics that matter to us right here in Northeast Texas. That said, let me say something about the race for District 1 Texas Representative.

I have known Rep. Gary VanDeaver for a long time. I know him to be a reputable man, a Christian, and a man that has served our district with honor and with an ear to his constituents.

I also know Chris Spencer and I know him to also be reputable, a Christian, and a hardworking man that has a strong love for Northeast Texas.

I do not know Mr. Huls, have never met him, but from all I have heard him say he has served our country in the military, is a Christian, and works hard for what he believes in.

This is a race that is divided by just one cause, school vouchers. From everything I know or what I have been told, the only dividing line between Rep. VanDeaver and Chris Spencer is the debate over vouchers, or school choice. Whatever side you fall on that one topic, that’s where your vote will go. Seems to make it a simple choice.

So, here is my final thought. I would ask all of our local candidates to hold themselves to those higher standards. Run your campaigns by American standards and the Biblical standards that each of you live by, and stop all of the attack ads and bitterness. Selah.

How about we start now giving our posterity some leaders that are a good example of how they shall lead one day. Yes, let’s give them that please.