Who will stand in the gap?

 

 

 

"I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one..."

Ezekiel 22:30

Standing in the gap has very biblical roots. It has also developed into a modern day motto which speaks to dependability, character and value. I think of this verse quite a bit today as it relates to what is happening in our society, our country, our world.

Back when I was younger, the stereotype difference between Republicans and Democrats was very simple - Democrats were the "tax and spend" party which were always looking for more revenue, and Republicans were the party of "fiscal constraint" which were constantly looking to "right size" a bloated government. However, that was the old days.

What I have been hearing more and more from friends on the right is this - what in the world has happened to the Republican Party? It is true they don't spend as much as Democrats when they are in power, but they still spend. Now I am a fan of President Bush (43). I find him to be a good and honorable man. That being said, President Bush also ran up our national debt while he was in office. True, we did have the terror attack which led to a very expensive response. However, how we funded Medicare Part "D" was way beyond the pale. 

The people in the country who pay the bills are searching high and low for a person of fiscal and conservative principals to save the day. They are looking for a person of conviction who will do the following:

• Establish a balanced budget which allows for a zero dollar deficit each year. It is time to stop the bleeding. During the fiscal year, should emergency funding be needed, a corresponding offset in another part of the budget would be used.
• Do a annual "health check" on ALL existing programs which require yearly funding. The way things are now, we promulgate programs and they continue into infinity. This is fiscal madness. We have many programs which are outdated, redundant or just plain stupid.
• Besides having a zero dollar deficit every year, establish and begin a plan to slowly (without killing the economy) starts to reduce our debt. What any debt counselor will tell you is this - it takes a long time to get into a financial mess, and it will take a long time to get out of one. However, you must start TODAY, or it will never happen.

Who do we have that will stand in the gap to fight the debt monster. Is there not one among us who has the same Reagan type of courage and conviction? To know we have found the right  person, I believe he or she must have some core principals. First, we need someone of integrity and truth that can tell the masses we all have a drug problem - that is a debt problem. As with any addiction, the first step towards recovery is problem recognition. We need to admit we have a debt problem and ignoring it will only make it worse. No more "kicking the can down the street" - the battle starts today. 

Next, we need strength. We need a strong leader who will fight the uphill battle and never tire. We need someone who will once again remind us it is "morning in America", and we are the "shining city on the hill" for all to see. We do have American Exceptionalism. We don't need apologists and Nay-Sayers. We tried that, and it did not work. 

Our republic is at stake. Is it too late? Possibly, but I sure hope not. However, we have very little time. A clarion call needs to go out from all who care - is there not one amongst us that will stand in the gap? If the answer comes back "no", our gap will become a chasm which will never be bridged.