Thoughts on the Funeral of Whitney Houston

Pastor, pardon my not thanking you sooner for the copy of the letter on freedom of religion in America and your thoughts on it. Here are some in reply.

Today, Jane and I watched the Whitney Houston funeral on TV. What hit your humble servant here good and hard were four things.

One, the bishop gave a powerful sermon on the God-given value of each and every one of us. It was truly a riveting affirmation of Faith and the Gospel, God's graces to us. He pointed out the human need for Faith and the Gospel as the source of meaning, purpose, and to use the words of your humble servant here, the source of "fair play," justice. It reminded this writer of the late American philosopher Russell Kirk who observed that all order - social, political, economic - starts with moral order first. God is the source of moral order.

Two, the Church brings God's moral order to us. The rite of Christian burial on our TV was a forceful reminder that America has been great because it has been good. It has built its foundations on God's moral order, His will for us. Our churches, the Church, have given us this bedrock foundation. The faithful persons in that church today - and others in other churches across this great land - are the source of the justice, charity, fair play, and moral courage that has sustained us through stormy seas. If we lose this foundation, the Church, we lose America.

Three, this is why in the opinion of this writer the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been the greatest American of his day. Here is why. King called America to return to its moral roots. He had no money. He had no guns. He simply reminded us of our moral foundation, heritage, and asked us to act on it. He was not perfect, but he stood on the sure foundation of the Church, its Faith, Gospel, without which this country must, will fail.

Four, the church, Church, was full. I was seeing the Remnant who remain faithful, the hidden people of Faith on whom success or failure still rest, given the need for a moral foundation, bedrock to guide a country down healthy paths. I saw hope. At the same time, I felt despair that this country in so many ways has turned its back on God. Yet, we ought not to despair. You, as a pastor, play a crucial role in nurturing this Remnant. You need do no more. This writer prays for the will of God as a guide to his actions. We are not gods, assistant gods; we can be Faithful.