According to Yahoo online pole on November 1, 2009 regarding Afghanistan, 65.48% of those responding were in favor of “Implement our new strategy with the 40,000 additional troops requested” and 15.95% favored “Withdraw all our troops and personnel from that country.

We are a Republic (rule of constitutional law) and not a democracy (rule of the masses), however, those who are elected are charged with representing their constituencies. Hence, public opinion whether local or national, should be important for elected officials.

On the domestic front the economy and health care “reform” are the topics of greatest concern. Both these issues have a common thread. That common threat is TRUTH. On the one side is the claim that the proposed health care reform bill will allow individuals to continue their private insurance coverage while on the other side is the cold hard facts of the bill that mandate when your private insurance contract changes in any iota you will have to drop it and join the government program.

Yes, you may keep your private insurance, until! So where is the truth in the proclamation? TARP was established to rescue financial institutions, but expenditures of the program are not consistent with the intent. So where is the truth?

Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” It would generally seem that politicians have not changed? Pilate did not recognize truth when he saw it. Unfortunately, our politicians do not understand the law of contradiction. They cannot have it both black and white.

What is the average American, the average Christian, to do in the face of such confusion? While struggling with this question for myself, there are two verses of Scripture that kept clawing at the back of my mind. Writing at a time when the society was much like American society today, Paul instructed people to pray for “Kings and all who are in high positions.” He gave this instruction for the purpose that “We may lead a peaceful and quiet life…dignified in every way.”

Such prayers may not change the politicians or their policies, but they will change us. They will enhance our confidence that all is the control of Providence. This will enable us to be at peace even if the situation is confusing and frustrating. Truth is truth even if men do not recognize it.

Pilate’s failure to recognize Truth led to actions and policies that “turned the world upside down” in a generation. Who knows what will come out of the current disorder. In the process, like the Apostles, our peace will be internal not external. Our quiet life may well be that inward sense of calm in the midst of the storm. Our dignified life may be that of unaggressively taking the stance of Peter and John when they refused to stop speaking the truth.

So let these instructions claw at you mind!