The lead story that came out of this past weekend was the "kicking out" of Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders from a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. The reason cited for the refusal to serve Mrs. Sanders and to ask her to leave was based upon the fact that Mrs. Sanders works in the administration of President Trump and the owner does not support many of the positions of the Trump Administration. Stephanie Wilkinson, owner of the Red Hen Restaurant "cited the press secretary's work for the 'inhumane and unethical' Trump Administration. 'I'm not a huge fan of confrontation. I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.'" (www.gopusa.com).
Friends, I found this story to be appalling. Our nation spent nearly a decade or longer in what is called "the civil rights" movement to counter such attitudes that Stephanie Wilkinson displayed. I remember the stories, as a child growing up, of how black people were refused service in a restaurant simply because of the color of their skin. I guess if you had asked the owners of those restaurants they might have said that they had a moral reason for making their place off-limits to blacks. But, our nation said they were wrong. Because we live in a democracy a person should have the freedom to visit any place of business regardless of his or her skin color.
We have heard often these past months of how the Trump Administration has been characterized as being like the Hitler regime. Friends, how is the attitude of Stephanie Wilkinson, owner of the Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington, VA, any different from those shop owners in 1930's Germany who posted signs saying that Jews were not allowed in their stores? Those people were excluded simply because of their religious convictions.
Can you imagine the uproar if, instead of the Press Secretary that was asked to leave, it had been a gay person who was asked to leave because the owner of the restaurant did not want to serve a hamburger to a gay? Yet, because this was one of President Trump's administrative leaders, it was okay. Can Americans no longer have a dialogue based upon respect for one another? Can Americans no longer listen respectfully to one another? Can Americans no longer hold differing opinions without tearing one another apart?
There was another huge victory in the United States Supreme Court this past week. As I shared with you earlier this year, a case came from the State of California concerning a law that mandated that pro-life counseling centers post information about abortion and where those services could be provided. The Supreme Court ruled that such a mandate violated the principle of freedom of religious expression found within the First Amendment. President Trump's appointment of Justice Gorsuch has paid huge dividends already.
President Trump's representative to help broker a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians has held meetings in Jordan and Israel these past days. Jarrod Kushner is seeking to bring all the parties to the table. However, there is a strong hesitation, even an antagonism, on the part of the Palestinian leadership to even have the dialogue. They are still adamant that the only solution is a land without the presence of Israel. Will Mr. Kushner be successful? Probably not, but at least the desire of the Trump Administration is to try to open the doors for a dialogue, first helping the Palestinians to see the reality that Israel is a nation and that Jerusalem is its capital.
I am going to take a brief break from weekly blogs - unless something catastrophic occurs, which I hope will not be the case. After 46 years of ministry, I am finally taking a sabbatical leave from my church for a month. Marlys and I will be traveling to Virginia where we have rented a house for three week. I plan to do some sermon writing on the life of Jesus, read some books, and visit a lot of historical sites. If something occurs that needs some interpretation from a biblical standpoint, I will write on my Facebook page. Until we connect again, keep looking for the appearance of our only Hope, and keep working in the mission fields in which God has placed you.
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