Parade magazine yesterday published an exclusive interview with the 41st President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush and his wife, Barbara. One of the topics that came up during the interview was the surprising friendship between George Bush and Bill Clinton, the man who once ousted Bush from his run for a second term as President. “Well, he knows a lot about everything,” George said of Clinton. “He’s a very knowledgeable, bright man. He sat out here one time, and we talked about every possible [subject] – one after another.”
“But he never said a mean word about anyone,” Barbara interjected. “…I think he thinks of George as the father he never had. Truthfully. I mean that as a compliment. He’s been very thoughtful about calling and he’s a good fellow.”
When asked if she thought the friendship surprised her, she said, “I was surprised that I liked him, truthfully. And I do like him a lot. And he and George W. have worked together. I think they’re patriots. Maybe that’s the answer to your question.”
Maybe all those present and former Clinton-haters should take notice of this. George and Barbara like Bill. A lot.
Anyone who has noticed anything about politics over the last 20 years will remember that to many Christians at the time, and I would dare say to many, still, Bill Clinton was (is) something less of a good fellow. At the time he was the anti-Christ to some, and when the scandal with Monica Lewinsky surfaced at the end of his second term, he became at least the scoundrel many Christians thought he always was. Imagine: George, Barbara and the anti-Christ chatting in the front room about anything and everything. What ridiculous claims politics force on us.
I wish we could all take a clue from Mr. and Mrs. Bush, that in the end, George, Bill and even George W. are, as Barbara says, “patriots” – human beings who care deeply about America.
Wouldn’t it be great, in this election year, if we could start out thinking about Mitt Romney and Barack Obama this way – as human beings who care deeply about their country – instead of demonizing one or the other, and waiting until either one, or both are old former Presidents chatting together in the front room to realize this?
Certainly if anyone should set the tone for this kind of gracious, civilized thinking and living, it should be Christians.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17)
John Fischer The Catch 
Amen, John. It’s an exhausting tsunami of hate coming from both sides and it truly hurts to see my fellow Christians taking part at the level that they do. I don’t understand it and do not see how they can think it’s okay. It provides great fuel for friends who aren’t believers to push the thought of exploring Christ even further away.
. . . But I notice it’s still okay, in Barb’s eyes, to snipe at Sarah. Or, in George’s eyes, to take a poke at Grover.
Sorry, but it was hard NOT to notice. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from many years of observing politics, it’s to watch out when everyone starts getting all lovey-dovey — that’s precisely when someone’s about to start jabbing away. It’s like they think they can get away with it better if it’s awash in a wave of ostensible good feeling for all. That’s why I’m always especially wary of those who declare themselves above the fray. They’re usually the ones who are most inclined to get down in the dirt and start the mud-wrestling.
All that to say — yeah, it would be great, but I’m afraid I’m not holding my breath. Again, sorry for being a downer. But I can’t ignore or forget decades of watching this happen, and the tendency of so many to act like this has to be taken into account when attempting to form any kind of a Christian worldview about politics and how to engage in it. We’ve got to start out with a realistic view if we have any hope at all of making a difference.
amen Gina.
Amen!
I have the opposite problem. Finding “George and Barbara” LIKEABLE people!!! LOL! We all know that Bill Clinton is charming…I am not sure about this particular couple…
Well I guess we all need a little grace.
Amen to that. 🙂
I was 25-26 years old when the Monica Lewinsky story broke. I think it was a good age because I was old enough to know what the real world was like and I had yet to find how I or God fit in it all. It was right about this time that I realized that my parents were human to and didn’t live in the ivory tower I had placed them in since birth. So, in many ways, it was like a one-two knockout punch for me those first few months with both of my parents and my president on the same level as me – just a normal, everyday sinner.
As painful as it was however, God did show me that none of them asked to be placed so high and that was something I had done. Further I learned empathy – now that they were on my level it was easy for me to be put in his shoes:
Imagine, what it would be like to have your darkest sin (you know the one you put behind the back wall in your darkest, coldest, fullest, dampest closet) be known. Not just known, but out in the public, where people talk about it first thing on the evening news, radio talk shows, late night comedians make punch lines about you, your sin, your family. It’s out there for public consumption, its top conversation at every water cooler in the country…IN THE COUNTRY. How horrible. I can’t imagine and I hope I never know what it is like.
It’s always tough to learn your heroes are human, just like the rest of us.
Lauri…. An apology to the Country for lying to them in court (the reason we impeached him), would go a long way towards a reconciliation, and restoring some credibility to someone still doing world-wide speaking engagements as our former National leader.
John,
One of the things that distinguished Ronald Reagan, both as a politician and a man, is that his enemies liked him almost as much as his friends did. When you can have that, especially in politics, you’ve done well. Interestingly, the same cannot be said of Christ. His enemies hated Him with a passion. Does that make Christ less of a man than Reagan?
A lot of that has to do with personality. Some personalities are just easier to like. There are godly LIKABLE people, and there are godly LESS-LIKABLE people. It also has, I think, to do with spirituality. Stephen strikes me as a very likable person in Acts 6. Yet, he drew the ire of his listeners in Acts 7.
Just because someone is likable doesn’t mean he is competent. I had a lady recently tell me all the wonderful things Jimmy Carter has done since he left office, with Habitat for Humanity, etc. That doesn’t change the fact that he was a horrible president. I would probably like Carter very much as a person. I’m sure he’s gracious and kind, thoughtful, etc. The office of President isn’t about who is likable and who isn’t. It’s about who can do the job.
It’s okay to like a bad president as a person, and it’s okay to dislike a likable person as President. The ability to separate the personality from the position (and the performance in that position) is important. God has called us to be discerning. He has called us to be wise as serpents. He has called us to have righteous judgment. That hardly means that we should hide our heads in the sand, wear rose-colored glasses or be everybody’s friend. Christ wasn’t that way. Why should we be?
But, “if POSSIBLE, as much as it depend on YOU, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18) The key word here is IF – it is not always possible. Sometimes you have to take a stand, especially when there is a lot at stake. You can take a stand without being obnoxious and STILL have people hate you. That’s their problem. Is our job to stand for truth, or is our job to make friends? Both, if possible. But if you have to choose, stand for truth.
Waitsel
…and love.
Let it go, John. Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. The Gospel of John says that the Truth became flesh and dwelt among us, and that grace and Truth came with Jesus Christ. If there is one word that describes Jesus Christ, it is Truth, not love. He lived love, but He personified Truth. Why can’t you let someone make a statement without thinking you have to add the word love to the end of it. Are you the love police? Do you think you’re the only one who loves the Lord, or the only one who understands that all things must be done in love? You need to let others be themselves and have their say without thinking you need to come behind them with the words “…and love,” like some hostess following her guests around with a broom and dust pan. You know?
So sorry. That was not my intent.
amen Waitsel.
A long time ago I was told that if I prayed for some ”despicable person’ I would begin to see them in a different light. It is true. Why not pray that God will have the person in office that He wants. God’s answer might surprise you, but who can argue with God. Then let love prevail and pray for discernment to see God’s reason for His choice. Will you see a perfect politician, no, but you will be more forgiving.
Peter,
I’m sure there were plenty of people in Germany praying for a better person in office than Hitler back in the 1930s. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a lack of prayer that allowed Hitler to take office, but a lack of vigilance on the part of the German people, and especially German Christians. Yet, that didn’t stop Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Claus von Stauffenberg from doing what they could to change things.
I’m sure there were plenty of people in England praying for better people in office than the slave-trade investing Parliament that they had in the days of William Pitt. Yet, that didn’t stop William Wilberforce from fighting for the elimination of slavery in the British Empire and changing the minds of his fellow MPs. You can pray AND you can do whatever else you can to change things. That is the way of GREAT men – do EVERYTHING that is in your power and support it all with prayer.
Waitsel
BIg Amen on today’s Catch!
John, the Catch is not necessarily the place for this discussion. So I will make this point and leave it at that.
Waitsell your points are well taken. Mine was that God appoints all kings. Please read I Kings 19:15 – 18; and II Kings 8:7 – 15. Hazael could well be a Hitler in all the atrocities he commits. That does not mean he got away with it. Jehu overstepped his mandate and got his due. God uses great men as well as despicable men. That last statement has been hard for me to grasp until I realized that I too am the ‘chief of sinners’. Bottom line God has got seven billion sinners to work with, yet he is managing just fine.
I do not profess to understand it all but I would much rather see a whole lot more like Wilbur Wilberforce, Dietrich Bonnhoeffer, and the like. In Oklahoma City in 2012 there is a group of christians who are using the Clapham Circle(Wilber Wilberforce’s organzation) principles to make changes in their city. Right now I and others have been praying that God will move people to begin such a movement in my home town Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Some pray and others do. Right now I am praying for my city’s transformation! Interestingly prayer has reduced the murder rate this year in Edmonton by 50% and also the incidence of graffitti has gone down by a similar percentage…..all due to prayer walks but not what I am praying for. God does not always start his transformations where I expect him to. So I will pray and wait until it is time for me to move. Isaiah 55:8,9.
I believe quite a few of you are missing the point of this Catch. It seems to me John was speaking solely of getting along peacefully with others – even if you don’t agree with their politics. This can be done – no it MUST be done through Christ if we want others to see His love.
Thank you.
Yes, he was, and it’s a very good and important point. I would just like to see a little more of some of these politicians really practicing what they preach in that respect. Not just “I’ll show you love and respect . . . IF your political beliefs fall in what I believe is the acceptable range.”
to Waitsel Smith: “For God so LOVED the world…” Christ is indeed the personification of Love.