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While Associated Press reported the crowd in Washington DC this past Sunday to be in the "tens of thousands," less defensive news sources put it at 300,000 to 500,000 people attending the Beck event.
Most media organizations tried to either minimize the event, a near impossible task given the attendance, or distort what it was really about. The media chose to use words like "far right," "tea party activists," "anti-tax," and "anti-government" to define the event. NBC's Brian Williams made sure President Obama had the opportunity to tell NBC's viewers that he was "ignoring" the event.
Whatever the media tried to make of it and however they tried to define it, it was at its core, a Mormon talk show host and an evangelical former Governor telling hundreds of thousands of people to, "Tell the truth and turn to God."
Both Beck and Palin said the event was about "restoring honor" not politics. What if that is true? And if it were just a political thing, why would half a million people attend "that" political rally but not other political rallies in those numbers?
If you strip away all the nuances, you still have a Mormon talk show host and an evangelical former Governor urging people to turn to God and restore a nation. Theological discussion can come later. At the moment, two non clergy were saying, "Turn to God, restore a nation."
If pastors will not lead, who....?
The most defining statement, in my opinion, came from Sarah Palin.
As she urged those gathered and those who would listen and watch through radio and TV to change the course of the nation, she reflected for a moment saying, "Sometimes our challenges seem insurmountable."
Indeed they do.
Then she said what every person of faith needs to hear:
"Look around you, you're not alone."
There is a growing sense that the only solution for a nation that has collectively lost her way, is a spiritual one.
Last summer, Katy Abrams, at a town hall meeting, told Arlen Spector, D-PA., "I don't believe this is just about healthcare. It's not about TARP. It's not about Left or Right. This is about the systematic dismantling of this country...you have awakened the sleeping giant."
Indeed. And may there be a spiritual awakening that history will record as a defining moment in America.
Be Vigilant. Be Strong. Be Encouraged. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.
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Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom
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