J. Davy Crockett III

As we remembered 1776 and celebrated the anniversary of the birth of the United States of America, countless Americans were reminded, if only for a day, of the heroic beginnings of this great nation.

Many years have passed since that sweltering summer in Philadelphia when the Declaration of Independence was signed, but they are only a short time in the flow of history. Extraordinary men laid it all on the line as the colonies broke away from the motherland and started a new, sovereign nation.

While listening to a well know radio show, a female caller made the point that we now live it the "age of the wuss." Now, just what is a "wuss"? The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition states, "Slang: A person regarded as weak or timid and especially as unmanly." A "wuss" is a wimp; a timid, ineffectual man.

The sound of the cicadas was deafening as I walked along on a summer Sabbath morning, enjoying the breeze and collecting my thoughts after a busy and eventful week. I had so much to think about, and was trying to making sense of it from a biblical point of view. Yet, those cicadas were humming away so loudly, it was hard to concentrate.

Each day brings new and unsettling developments in all sectors and levels of our country and other developed nations, spawning uncertainty and fear, as people go about their daily routines of work and leisure activities. As one contemplates this situation, the question is raised, "Why terrorism?" Why has this become a global problem, which everyone deals with and no one can control? It is a very complex question and a number of contributing factors can be identified.

Some events are obvious turning points in the course of history. Other events may go unnoticed by many, but are, nonetheless, turning points in determining how things will turn out. As an example, the headlines shout, "Don't ask, don't tell repealed," which means that the hotly debated policy of allowing homosexual individuals to serve in the military – as long as their sexual preference was kept private and not openly practiced or publicized to others – has been changed.