Karen called me on her way to work this morning to tell me that she heard on the radio this morning that the former US Presidents (all of them I think) and George W. Bush are going to be in attendance today when Billy Graham’s library is dedicated. That is cool. I love Billy Graham too. I appreciate what he has done for this country. He deserves this kind of recognition. What has he done you might ask? For one thing he created a climate of evangelism in this country. Can you imagine how bad the 60’s and 70’s would have been without him? He has also been a counselor and a source of strength for our Presidents going back at least to the Kennedy’s. And he has been our nation’s Pastor since the 60’s. So again, he deserves the presence of the Presidents and other national leaders.

But here’s my beef. I think Jerry Falwell deserved to have these same men at his funeral. Okay, I can understand why Carter and Clinton wouldn’t be there. But Bush 1 and Bush II should have been. And I believe the reason they are going to be at Graham’s library opening is because that is a SAFE way to get the evangelical support for their party. And the reason they didn’t have the guts to show up at Jerry’s Falwell’s funeral is because it was dangerous politically. And don’t tell me that the Bush’s have personal ties with the Grahams. That may be true but they also had personal ties with Jerry Falwell. In fact, the Bush’s may owe their presidencies to Jerry Falwell!

I know I have already blogged the whole funeral thing and that’s not really my point for this blog. My point is that the problem in this country today is the whimpish, SAFE, non-risk taking, politically correct leadership that abounds these days. And it’s not just a Bush thing. Carter, who wants to say that George W. Bush has had the worst administration in US history, is sadly mistaken. I remember the Iranian Crisis, gas lines, fuel shortages, and interest rates so high that owning a home was impossible for many people – all during the Carter Administration. And Clinton – I don’t think he ever made a decision without licking his finger and sticking it into the air to see which way the wind was blowing. He led by opinion polls.

My point is not Democrat or Republican. It’s leadership. And we have a huge leadership vacuum today. And not just in the White House. It is in business and industry, academia and the church too. There are no more Patrick Henry’s who said to the Continental Congress in 1775, “Give me liberty or give me death!” Gone are the Winston Churchill’s who said (as the British were being pounded by the Germans in 1940 and nearly down for the count, “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...” Where is a Billy Graham type preacher today who will take the risk of renting a stadium and praying lost people into the seats and to the altar? Where is a Jerry Falwell who will put it all on the line – right or wrong – for what he believes? Where are the city builders and Henry Ford’s and “captains of industry”? Today’s business leaders don’t innovate and lead change and make better products to increase their profit margins. Instead, they send jobs to India, buy junk from China, and lay people off. That is not leadership!

In serious times we need serious leaders with backbone – leaders who were worth following. Brothers, these are series times! We need leaders!