Faith, hope in character
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I was happy today. It caught me off guard. Work is hard, family has its challenges, news of the world fighting, statistics of societal decline, you know, the usual that makes it unusual to be happy. And so, I was caught off guard. Oh, I try to be happy. I try to raise good kids, be a good man, work hard for my boss, pay attention and vote, go to church and help other people, but moments of happiness still stand out — as a moment stood out today.
It wasn’t the momentary happiness like catching a nice trout or shooting a big buck — that’s happiness of immediate success. It wasn’t a little deeper happiness like when your child takes a few steps or graduates — the feeling of pride and hope for the future. I’d say it was more akin to a wedding. The happiness that although you are there because of the couple, you are there for the belief in something greater. That love endureth, endureth through statistics of divorce. The idea that love survives. And we believe, and we are happy.
I attended the Veterans’ Honor Guard dedication and flag raising for Ryan Fullerton’s Eagle Scout project, the flag pole at the Charlo firehall. I am a Boy Scout Leader for Ryan’s Troop and was honored to be asked to stand with the Honor Guard and hold the P.O.W. flag. As I stood there I thought on greater things.
Scouting’s goal is to develop faithful, hardworking, helpful leaders in the community. By faithful I don’t mean in one religious faith, I mean faith in things greater than self. Ideas of patriotism, service, and leadership, for example. In the Eagle project the Scout is to have a vision, organize, delegate, lead, to fulfill a need within the community that makes it better. To fulfill that part of the Scout oath that says “to help other people at all times” while using leadership skills he has learned on his “journey to Eagle.” Ryan has succeeded in that goal and has become the kind of great man that we hope for and need in this country.
My feeling of happiness was not just an immediate happiness in the successful completion of a project, or just a happiness of a young man taking steps and graduating to the next level. The community that was there was made up of mothers who took their babies out into the cold and who took their teenagers temporarily out of school, of men who laid down their tool and stopped working, of retired folk who put on their uniforms and shined their shoes and joined their brothers. They were there not only because of Ryan, but also for the belief in something greater — that the character of the man that stood there today is important. Character endureth and shines through statistics of decadence. We as Americans are here because of the character of our founding fathers and those before us. These Veterans are here today because of the character of the men that fought beside them. Our children will be in whatever world we leave because of the character of us today. And so my happiness was because of something greater. As I stood there at attention, I looked at the character of the people there. Literally being raised on a pole in the center of our square was a symbol of that greater character we strive for. We were there because the idea of character survives. And we believe, and we are happy.
Thank you Ryan and BSA, thank you Veterans, thank you firefighters, and thank you citizens. Seeing you strengthened my faith and gives me hope that our country will survive because of the character of such people. Laus Deo.
