Eclectic Amateur

I just saw the news that former President Ronald Reagan passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

I absorbed a visceral dislike of Reagan and Reagan conservatism as a college student during the 80’s, which I’ve been slowly unlearning ever since.

Was Reagan a perfect man? Of course not. Can his presidency be legitimately criticized? Of course.

But as I look back and learn more about what I was not taught in those years, I am more impressed with the sense that here was a man. One who tried to do the right thing and speak truth plainly, to the best of his ability. A marvelous thing this days, and a further wonder that such a man was granted eight years in the White House.

Did he have successes and failures, times he was in the right and times he was in the wrong? Of course. (Who does not?)

And let us not forget that even good and great worldly accomplishments are as straw before the true Accomplishment of knowing God and enjoying Him forever. Let us pray that the Great Communicator is no long merely “communicating”, but communing, with all the saints.

Kathy Shaidle has a beautiful story of Not Hating Reagan. I don’t have a moment of epiphany like Kathy, but count me as another who No Longer Hates Reagan™. God bless, Gipper.