Significance, God, and Politics

OPINION — On October 5, I attended the memorial service for my friend of 46 years, Floyd Craig, in Nashville, Tennessee. The memorial service was led by our mutual friend, Dr. David Sapp. All three of us met in 1978 when I started to work with the Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission in Nashville.

Floyd was a remarkably encouraging person, a delight to be around, and sharp of mind until his death at 91. I had the joy of hosting him and David Sapp at my Paint Rock ranch and Christoval home in 2017.

At Floyd’s funeral, David and others talked about the things that especially distinguished Floyd for those of us who knew him. For example, to total strangers, nurses he met, servers, just ordinary people whose paths he crossed, Floyd would say, “I have a word for you: significant. You are significant. God made you that way. When you got up this morning, you were significant, and you always will be. I don't want you to forget that."

I have found a great deal of joy in copying Floyd and saying that very thing to people at the feed store, food servers, a nurse who took care of my son Chad when he had knee surgery, and others. I plan to keep it up.

There is a lot of division in our country, and I doubt that this election is going to solve that, but one thing that might bring us together would be if we all agree that every single person we encounter is significant, regardless of who they vote for, or how they worship, or who they love.

Anyone who knows me knows I've already voted for Kamala Harris. Just as our founding fathers, she believes in religious liberty for all people, not just those who believe like her. Keeping America committed to the First Amendment is my priority issue. I don't support any religion controlling the government as Christian nationalists do.

She supports public schools and opposes private school voucher schemes that are nothing more than welfare for the rich and violate the First Amendment. Our community rallied around Representative Drew Darby when he was attacked for standing strong against vouchers. Why would we vote for any candidates who are trying to destroy our public schools? If you want to see what will happen to Christoval, Mertzon, Miles, and Paint Rock if our Texas legislature passes vouchers and those communities lose their public schools, just drive out to Eola or over to Talpa.

Also, I like inflation being down to 2.5% and my retirement accounts up over 30% in the past year, and I don't want tariffs raising the cost of building houses.

But this article is not about that. I see no reason to write all the ways I consider Donald Trump unfit for the presidency as half of his former cabinet has stated. If you don't see his lack of integrity, moral values, and human decency by now, then there is nothing I can write that would convince you.

So let's talk about significance. My ranch neighbor flies a Trump flag. He is significant to me. He is a wonderful man and a great neighbor, regardless of his flag. I want to always remember that.

I want my family members who vote differently than me to know that I value them . . . that they are very significant to me and my life. I love them deeply, although I stupidly get in arguments with them when I should just keep my mouth shut. I'm working on that and will sure be glad when this election is over.

People should have deep convictions about faith and politics (my faith informs my politics, as it should for all of us who are believers), but we should not be dogmatic and unloving. There is never a place for that. As the Apostle Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 13:12), "For now we all see through a glass darkly."

Significant. That's the word I have for you. Please remember it. And God, thank you for Floyd Craig and how you shaped his life, and for his significance in my own life.