Daniel 6:1-3 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an
hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over
these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts
unto them, and the king should have no damage.
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because
an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole
realm.”
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law.”
As I close out this PLUS series on Impacting Babylon, I want
to circle back to an important thought about having an excellent spirit using a
more modern example. While none of what
I write below is an attempt to elevate Charles Lindbergh to the level of the
biblical Daniel, his story punctuates an important point while hopefully
offering a dose of pride and patriotism in the midst of our own cynical times.
Lindbergh’s 1927 trans-Atlantic aviation accomplishment was
remarkable. From the moment he landed in
Paris, he became a worldwide celebrity who was constantly mobbed by huge crowds
and adorned with lavish praise. At a
reception at the National Press Club once he returned back to the United
States, Richard Oulahan had the privilege of introducing him to a crowd of over
6000 people. In part, this is what he
said:
“We of the press rub elbows with all manner of mankind. We see much of good but we see much of
self-seeking, of sordid motive, as we sit in the wings watching the world’s
procession pass across the stage. If it
is true that through our contacts we are sprinkled with a coating of the dry
dust of cynicism, that dust was blown away in a breath, as it were, when our
professional brethren who greeted you [Lindbergh] overseas broadcast the news
of your peerless exploit. To Americans
it brought a spontaneous feeling of pride that you were of their nationality.
The whole world was carried off its feet by an
accomplishment so daring, so masterful in execution, so superb in achievement,
by the picture presented of that onrushing chariot of dauntless youth, flashing
across uncharted heavens straight through the storm’s barrage.
But if the press, with such an inspiration, performed its
mission well, it found equal inspiration.
It performed as fine a mission in chronicling the subsequent conduct of
our young Ambassador of Good Will. His
words and bearing dissipated vapors of misunderstanding. He personified, to a Europe amazed at the
revelation, the real spirit of America.
The press should be proud then, if in telling the story of
this later phase in the career of the American boy, it brought to the peoples
of the world a new realization that clean living, clean thinking, fair play and
sportsmanship, modesty of speech and manner, faith in a mother’s prayers, have
a front page news value intriguing imagination and inviting emulation, and are
still potent as fundamentals of success.”
People were amazed at Lindbergh’s aviation accomplishment in
1927. Yet, it was the way he carried
himself in the face of praise and fame that captured the attention of the
world. It was his character that stood out
above his capabilities. It was an
excellent spirit that intrigued the imagination of the world and invited
emulation. It was a potent fundamental
of his true success.
Regardless of our accomplishments, it will be our character
that stands out above our capabilities.
An excellent spirit can still intrigue the imagination of the world and
invite emulation. It is still a potent
fundamental of true success.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO REMEMBER THAT OUR
CHARACTER STANDS OUT ABOVE OUR CAPABILITIES.
May we cling to clean living, clean thinking, fair play and
sportsmanship, modesty of speech and manner, and faith in a mother’s
prayers. These characteristics have
front page news value intriguing imagination and inviting emulation. They are still potent as fundamentals of
success as we strive to impact our world today, in a literal or a figurative
Babylon.
ADMIN NOTE: The quote about Lindbergh came from the book “We”
