“Of course. I’ll do just what the Bible says,” she said, looking up and returning his hug, “I’ll pray constantly and worry not at all—or at least not very much!”
On the way to the West Wing for his early morning security briefing, William was pleased to receive three very positive “Great speech last night, Mr. President” greetings and two neutral stares from the staff. He caught himself fixing on people’s eyes, like a child looking for approval, and smiled. Outside the Oval Office, Barbara Morton was already waiting, and she walked toward him, beaming, when he came near.
“Mr. President—William, since no one else is here—I just want you to know how proud my husband and I were last night. What a speech! I cried for joy because we’ve been praying for you and your family every day for all these years, and God really answered our prayers last night! Thank you for having the courage to tell the truth.”
Overwhelmed, William stopped and reached for her hand. “Barbara, I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me about your faith before?”
“I did once, years ago, but you probably don’t remember. You shrugged it off and told me God was too busy to worry about one lawyer. I think it was when you were seeing that other attorney in Charlotte. I hated what you were doing to your family and to yourself, and I almost quit. But my husband and I prayed about it, and the Lord seemed to be telling us to stay with you and to pray for you. So that’s what we’ve been doing, every morning and evening for seventeen years. And now, finally, our prayers have been answered! Isn’t God wonderful?”
William was speechless. He thought his affair had been a well-disguised secret all these years, yet Barbara had known about it and had been praying for him! “Thank God, Barbara, for you and your husband. You’ve been praying every day?”
She nodded and squeezed his hand. He started to search for words again, but she stopped him, tears forming in her eyes. “You don’t need to say anything, William. God has blessed us all by the mercy and love he’s shown you. Just continue to pray for others who don’t know him. Always remember, William, they’re not the enemy—they’re the victims of the real enemy.”
He tried to remember where he’d heard that phrase before, but his mind was too full of her revelation. Finally he just said, “Yes, thank you, Barbara. And God bless you.” She squeezed his hand one last time, and he opened the door to his office.
Ninety minutes later at a little before nine, as William was reading another generally negative article about his unexpected speech, Jerry Richardson knocked and opened the door. William smiled and waved for him to come in. The president stood behind his desk, waiting to hear the other man’s response.
Richardson walked all the way over to the desk before saying anything. Then he put out his right hand and smiled, “That was one incredible speech, Mr. President. How did you do it, all on your own? All the way home from the Capitol I kept thinking about what you said about choice and how much courage it took to say it the way you did. And alone in the car I decided that you and my mother couldn’t both be wrong! When I got home, my wife was agitated—both our mothers had called to say they’d waited years to hear a politician speak the truth about this nation and about race relations, and they’d finally heard it last night!
“I called my mother back, and she told me again that the only hope to heal racial prejudices in this nation is the Spirit of God, who transcends races and can bind all of us together through our common faith. She told me I’d better work my posterior off for you, so here I am at fifty-four, reupping for another enlistment in what I imagine may be a slightly different army, if you’ll have me.”
William returned his smile and his strong handshake. For the third time in that short morning he was overwhelmed by what he was hearing from others. Maybe that’s one way God speaks to us, when we listen.
“Jerry, of course. I need your help now more than ever. So far the team is kind of small—you, Barbara, Carrie, my kids, and me. Oh, and the Lord! So maybe it’s not so small after all.”
“There’ll be more, many more. But I’m afraid we’ve also got some unhappy folks as well who feel you’ve gone off the deep end, or have suddenly become a Christian bigot.”
William motioned his chief of staff to take the chair at the end of the desk, and they both sat down. “Yes, the vice president gave me an earful while we were still on the podium last night, and I assume Bob Horan will be upset. Who else?”
“Robert Valdez called me at home last night to ask whether our meeting this morning was still on, since you were now doing your own thing and probably being advised by the Pope—his words. I told him yes on the meeting, but I don’t think he’s too pleased. Chris Wright caught me on the car phone this morning. He was miffed that he’d worked so hard with Bob on a speech you didn’t use, but his was more a passing temper tantrum.”
“Yes, I owe them an apology. But it was the only way.”
“I understand. And I think he will, too. I have no idea about Ted, Sandy, or Lanier. We’ll find out in a few minutes, I guess.”
“Well, let’s take a second to ask his presence in what we’re about to do, and in this whole day.”
“Yes, please.”
And they bowed their heads at the president’s desk.
RALEIGH—In the crowded central hall of their high school early that Wednesday morning, Matthew caught up with Sarah between assembly and first period. “Hey, how are ya?” he said, leaning down a bit as they walked along.
“Good.” She smiled up at him. “Tough trig test coming up, though.”
“Yeah. Definitely a bummer. Listen”—he leaned further and lowered his voice—“I got us a reservation at the Regent Hotel for Saturday night. We can check in that afternoon and stay till your curfew. It’ll be awesome.”
“Matthew, I’m not going to spend all day and night Saturday at the Regent Hotel with you,” she said, obviously annoyed.
“Why not? We talked about it! It’ll be just like we were married, and we blew into town for a weekend. We’ll have room service and everything. It’ll be great!”
Just like we were married, only we aren’t! We’re in high school! “Matthew, if I have to explain why I’m not going to spend all day in a downtown hotel where anyone might see us, then we must be very different people. The answer is no!”
They arrived outside Sarah’s math class. Matthew was clearly disappointed. “Well, what if I get reservations for us at a hotel on the other side of town, where no one would ever know us?”
“I’ve got to take my test. Matthew, just don’t get any reservations, okay? We’ll talk about it later. See you at lunch.” And she left him standing in the hall.
BOSTON AND WASHINGTON—Leslie sat at her desk and dialed a number in Boston. When there was an answer, she said, “Bruce, good morning, it’s Leslie Sloane.”
“Oh, uh, hi.”
“Did I wake you?”
“Uh, no. I was awake. Just a late night. How are you?”
“Fine. Listen, we really appreciate your tip about the president. It was obviously right on.”
“Yeah, but I guess after that speech you don’t need any more back-ups, right? It’s pretty obvious how he’s shafted us!”
“Yes. If I had time I’d be even more angry and depressed, since I believed in him and did so much to help him. What a knife in the back! But now we need you even more. We’re putting together a full report for the news, then a one-hour special tonight on what’s happened to him. We need your input on what he said and did at Camp David.”
“You mean at Christmas?”
“Yeah. When he told everyone that he’s a Christian.”
“You want me to tell you now, on the phone?”
“I’d like to know the highlights now, but we really hope you can get downtown to our affiliate station in Boston. Then you, Ryan, and I will do a video conference, which we’ll tape and use tonight. You’re bound to have the best perspective of anyone on this.”
“You and Ryan Denning together?”
“And
you. On prime-time television tonight.”
“He’d know that I was the one who said those things, then.”
“Who?”
“The president.”
“Yes. Of course. But it’s your chance to say whatever you want about all this. Mainly we want your eyewitness report on exactly what happened. We’ll probably be the only network with that kind of insight, if you’ll help us. We’re also trying to track down some of the ministers and other people who’ve been secretly advising him all this time. We see it as a kind of plot by religious zealots to influence our government at the highest level.”
“Rebecca would not be pleased.”
“I guess it’s a matter of your principles, Bruce, and of courage.”
There was a long pause. Leslie held her breath and kept silent. Finally Bruce said, “What time should I go to the station?”
She smiled. “A little after eleven. They’ll do the make-up and stuff, and we’ll start the interview about eleven-thirty, if that’s all right with you.”
“That’s fine. But let me ask you something: Could I just describe what happened, like an eyewitness? I can give you some insights, and you can ask questions, but you do the editorializing. Okay? That way I hope I can keep Rebecca, if she understands.”
“That’s acceptable, and I’m sure she will. Ryan and I will see you in a couple of hours. Thanks. Now, can you just give me a few key quotes from what he said to you during that service on Christmas Eve?”
“Sure.”
WASHINGTON—Right at nine Barbara knocked on the door to the Oval Office. William nodded, and the inner circle of advisors filed in to join the president and his chief of staff, led by the vice president. As William rose to join them by the fireplace, where there was already a roaring fire, he noticed that all of his closest team members had made the meeting, and they all seemed serious and somber. He said a silent prayer for strength as his stomach knotted. Then he walked over to join them.
“Please, everyone, take a seat,” he began. They positioned themselves around the coffee table, with Press Secretary Chris Wright in his wheelchair at the opposite end from the president. The vice president sat a half-chair length back from the rest, closest to the door and the farthest from William.
“I’m glad everyone could be here. I know that last night I probably threw a curve ball for some, if not all of you. Bob and Chris, I have to apologize to both of you for all the work you put in on the speech I didn’t give. It’s excellent, and I did take notes. I assure you that parts of it will be used again shortly.”
William looked around the room at his advisors, then said, “You’ve all known me for quite a while, and we’ve been through a lot together. There’s no reason to repeat what I said last night, except to say that I deeply believe that every word I spoke is the truth. I didn’t come by those beliefs lightly or quickly—Carrie and I have been studying with some pretty exceptional men and women, reading the works and letters of the men who conceived this nation, and debating with another group of advisors who approach issues with the biblical worldview I described in my speech—a group I hope you’ll meet very shortly.
“I’d be pleased to describe in detail to any or all of you how the deepening of our Christian faith and our acknowledging of God’s worldview came to happen, and what it’s meant to us personally. But this morning I realize we’ve got to focus on our work and on where we go from here.
“I was quite serious last night in describing the need for change and for a new foundation for Congress and the nation. I was also serious about the need for the nation to choose one course or the other, with or without God’s influence. I want our team to fill in all the details of the outline I began in the speech—to define what a modern secular government founded on God’s principles will be like, if that’s what the people choose in November. It will be a very busy time, first of studying, then of talking and debating, finally of writing and persuading. But we won’t implement anything unless and until our people want this course for our nation.”
“Except on abortion,” Bob Horan, the speechwriter, interrupted.
“Except on abortion,” the president agreed but added nothing.
William paused and looked around the circle again. Most of the looks were blank, but he couldn’t see Patricia Barton-North, who was partially hidden behind Robert Valdez. Then he continued. “I already know the vice president doesn’t think much of this new course—she told me so last night. And I appreciate that some or all of you may agree with her. Jerry was kind enough to come in early and to offer his complete support. I would ask each of you to choose, as I described, just because I think we’ll be trying to implement at least some policies that may be impossible for someone who doesn’t start with the biblical worldview to accept. And I frankly need coherent, well-thought-out advice, not more gridlock.
“But I realize that making that decision may take some time. This is quite a change in some ways. So if you’re prepared to join us, then we want you. If you’re willing to try and to make a decision say, in about a month, then your help is needed. But if you know this is not your way, then it’s probably time to part now. After last night you can’t embarrass me by resigning—I’m beyond that,” he said and smiled. “That’s all I’d prepared to say today, so now I’m ready to listen.”
Bob Horan’s face had grown redder as the president spoke. He said, “I think I’ve got a right to go first. How could you say what you did about gay people, after all we’ve been through and all you’ve done to lift us up?”
William paused again and looked directly at his old friend. “From a personal point of view that was one of my toughest decisions, Bob, but no less correct. And ironically that decision began months and months ago, when I first saw what a pro-homosexual national policy was doing in areas I hadn’t even really considered. You see, in my private moments, even before I became a Christian, I asked myself whether I would want either of my children to adopt your lifestyle. And the answer came back loud and clear, for a number of reasons, no. Then I had to look at what we’ve been doing to the armed forces, movies, churches, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, adoptions—all those areas and many more have become flashpoints for an agenda that promotes a lifestyle I wouldn’t want for my own kids.
“Then when I became a Christian, besides the biblical teaching, which is clearly opposed to homosexual activity—not the individual, but the act— I was even more impressed with what I’ve come to understand as tough love, what Jesus meant when he said to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s not mush or sympathy: it’s love, wanting exactly the same for you that I’d want for me. So I started asking this question in many areas: Would I want to be on welfare? Would I want to be an unwed mother or father? Would I want to be a wife in a polygamous marriage? Would I want to be a homosexual? And if the answer was no, then tough love means I’ve got to do what I can to help others—particularly when we’re talking about government policies—not to suffer those consequences either.
“My efforts won’t be perfect. Some will fall through the cracks. But it’s really the height of conceit and of condemning others—not loving them— to promote and encourage situations for them that I would not stand for myself or for my family. So that logic will pervade much of what we design for the nation over the next nine months: is any particular program what I would want for myself or my children in that situation? If not, then there’s going to have to be a really strong reason to go along with it anyway— because my inclination will be to discard it.
“And so that’s how I come back to you, Bob, and the other homosexuals I know. I have to say that what you’re doing I believe is wrong, and our government and other opinion-setters in our society shouldn’t promote that lifestyle. What you do yourself is of course between you and God, but our government shouldn’t encourage it any more than we should encourage adultery, prostitution, polygamy, or any of the other behaviors that are arguably just ‘lifestyles,’ but nevertheless strike at the biblical foundation
of our society, the family.”
Bob Horan rose from his chair and said, “You’re wrong about me and other homosexuals. We can’t help the way we are, and you’re going to discriminate against us again. You’re as bad as any Christian bigot I’ve ever met, and I assure you that if I’m burning in hell someday, you’ll be there, too.” He then began moving toward the door.
William replied, “I hear you, Bob, and understand that you believe it. But I’ve recently met several men who used to say the same things and now, by God’s power, have been saved from what you’re going through. I’d really like you to meet and talk with them.”
Horan reached the door and looked back. “Save it. I’ve heard it all before, William. And I don’t care. I like being gay. I like kissing my big handsome lover—does that make you squirm, William? You’re just a wimpy little hypocrite, hiding behind some crazy revelation from Moses, and the voters will see you for what you are and crush you in November. Then you’ll have to follow through and resign! I’m just sorry I have to waste the next nine months waiting for your destruction. You can count me off your team—in fact, you can put me down as your enemy. In words that I’m sure are found somewhere in your mythical Bible, stuff it!” And he walked out, slamming the door.
Jerry Richardson looked at his boss and said, “We’re all having to make tough decisions. You made yours, and Bob made his.” Turning back to the group, he asked, “Who else has an opinion?”
“I’m inclined to believe you and to stay with you,” Chris White said from his wheelchair. “But I’d like to see and consider a little more. So put me in the category of watching what happens over the next few weeks.”
“Thanks, Chris. We can really use your talents,” William said.
“I’m in that category, too,” said Secretary of State Lanier Parks. “I think you’re probably right on most counts, but it’s been a long while since I’ve thought about them. I’d appreciate knowing some specific books you’d suggest on the two worldviews. Last night after your speech I even read some of the Book of Joshua—it’s been a long time.”
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