SLICK MITT

As speeches go, it was a good one. Mitt Romney covered all the bases, the Founding Fathers, John F. Kennedy, patriotism, religious freedom, mom and apple pie. We are all now assured that there won’t be a hotline between the White House and Salt Lake City if he is elected as our next president. Specifically, he attempted to convince us that, as president, he will be guided by what is best for the American people as a whole and not the particulars of his personal faith.

Holy council of apostles, Batman! Did he really say that? Does he really want us to believe that as a 3rd generation Mormon, raised in one of the most prominent Mormon families, and a long time Mormon leader himself, he doesn’t subscribe to his convictions sufficiently to make them the guiding principle in the critically important decisions of the presidency? What kind of a faith is that?

My issue with Romney isn’t his Mormonism. As a Mormon he isn’t likely to make any worse decisions than, say, a Methodist. His Mormonism hasn’t seemed to hurt him as a businessman or Massachusetts governor. He’s been generally successful in those arenas. And, we sure can’t fault a guy aspiring to be a god someday for wanting to stop by the presidency along the way.

I just don’t believe him when he says he won’t be governed by his personal faith when it comes to the presidency. Hopefully, we all are guided by the convictions of our personal belief system. If elected, I wouldn’t fault him for bringing his Mormon worldview to the table. He should be free to quote the Book of Mormon just like Lincoln or Clinton quoted the Bible. He should be respected for soliciting advice from trusted advisors in his faith community, as have most presidents. These are things we would expect of anyone with a heartfelt faith. But Romney is trying to convince us that he will erect a wall of separation between himself and his Mormonism when he is the president. That strikes me as a very disingenuous, politically motivated thing to say.

Of all the candidates seeking their party’s nomination for the presidency today, Mitt Romney seems to be the most flagrant in telling the voters what they want to hear. In this case, he’s trying to calm the fears of evangelicals and Religious Right types who are skittish about Mormonism, just like he has tried to do with his abortion rights flip-flop. He’s an ear-tickler if there ever was one. Remember, slick Willy? Well, from where I sit, this guy is slick Mitt. I’m not buying it.

RIGHT NOW

Someone once said to me, “If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” I chuckled in agreement. Later I remembered that during one of those seasons when I did take better care of myself and even trained for a marathon, the week before the race I got a stress fracture in my foot and my wife had emergency surgery. I did not get to run that marathon.

Much of my life has been spent overlooking the right now. For too many years I kept my focus upon an imagined future. I say “imagined future” because the future does not exist outside of the imagination. Absolutely nothing I do today guarantees that tomorrow will come or turn out a certain way. The future is not a thing that stands in line waiting for its turn like when we wait for our number to be drawn at the driver’s license renewal station. It is entirely a figment of our imagination—a phantom. There is only now—this fleeting moment, a beat of the heart and a drawn breath. Where I am, who I’m with and what I’m doing right now is all that is certain, though fleeting.

While there may be some steps I can take today that may bring positive results tomorrow, there are no certainties. I could, for example, eat better and exercise today in the hope of being healthier tomorrow; but that doesn’t guarantee that I won’t slip in the shower and break my neck today. That’s why right now is so all important.

Persons afflicted with Alzheimer’s sometimes revert to reliving the past while being disconnected from the present. It is painful to watch and sorrowful to loved ones who are no longer recognized. However, because they understand that the person is ill and can’t help it, family and friends valiantly and loyally continue to love and care.

One who lives in the future and, in effect, is disconnected from the present is also difficult to deal with. Lacking the excuse of a medical condition, this person has chosen to devalue the immediate affections and presence of loved ones and friends by living in his or her future fantasy. The smiles, nods, tears, gestures, sounds and experiences of today's moments are overlooked in the rush to the future. Both the Alzheimer’s patient and the future chaser are denied the full benefit of right now; as are those forced to deal with him or her. Patience and sympathy from loved ones can wear thin.

This is why Jesus cautioned us to “take no thought for tomorrow... because tomorrow will take care of itself” (Matthew 6:25-34). Instead, he said we should focus upon living in God’s domain right now. God’s domain is loving relationships. Folks who don’t take this to heart wake up one day to discover their kids have grown up, graduated and moved away and now they’re left wondering where all those years went. What happened to those times that should have been given to laughter, hugs and memory making? They were lost to the priority of chasing the mirage of the future.

Will you join me in pulling out of someday and zeroing in on right now? We can do it if we’ll focus upon loving those around us, cherish the sound of their voice, listen to their thoughts and feelings and savor this present moment before it evaporates into yesterday.