January 13, 1999

EDITORIAL:
Can we learn from this spectacle?
___These are historic, perilous days.
___Pray for our nation. Pray for the Senate. Pray for President Bill Clinton. Pray for Justice William Rehnquist. Pray for your own reaction to this sordid spectacle.
___The U.S. Senate convened last week to try President Clinton on two articles of impeachment. Perhaps the first presidential impeachment trial in 131 years will be completed when you read this; probably not.
___For a year, Americans have been bombarded with tales of our president's misdeeds and political fallout. The Clinton impeachment saga presents us with several items to regret, others for which we can be thankful and cautionary reminders.
___We regret the president's immoral actions. We regret his affair with Monica Lewinsky. It was wrong. Sexual relations outside of marriage are a sin before God. Plus, it cheapened public discourse, infusing the evening news with details once left to X-rated movies (or so we're told).
___We regret the president's lies. Trust is as fragile as a flower. And yet it is vital for democracy. Clinton's lies before the grand jury and to the American public hurt us all. A generation stunned by Watergate passed on to coming generations the legacy of Monicagate. We will suffer for decades.
___We regret the petty, partisan way Congress has handled itself. With few exceptions, these representatives have acted more like warring fraternity boys than leaders of our nation. Most Republicans enjoyed the lurid details too much; their Democratic counterparts denied their impact too vehemently. Whatever the political outcome, the people have not been served well by the process.
___Sadly, we regret Americans' apathy. Apathy trivializes Clinton's moral scandal, desensitizing us to the gravity of the situation. "What happens between consenting adults is not my business," many have said. Conversely, apathy toward the political process deadens us to the possibility of a purer, better way. "Those blasted Democrats and Republicans are at it again," many have said, expecting no better than what we got.
___Still, we can be grateful.
___We can thank God for the wisdom of our founders, who provided our nation with a system for contemplating the removal of a president without war and bloodshed. Look through the pages of history. Scan the globe today. The United States is blessed with a Constitution that protects our democracy from tyranny and chaos.
___We can thank God for resilience. Whatever happens to Bill Clinton, the nation will continue to function. Bruised though it may be, government still will provide protection and infrastructure for the common good. Optimistical-ly, we can thank God that life will go on and that, just maybe, we will learn from this sad era and be stronger for it.
___And what can we learn? Here are some ideas to consider:
___ Actions matter. Maybe Clinton and Lewinsky thought their trysts were secret and only affected them. No way. Almost every American knows the sordid details. Worse, absolutely every American is harmed by the ripple effect of their sin.
___All of us must realize individual acts will not remain secret but surely will impact others. We can learn from Clinton's embarrassment not to place ourselves in compromising situations.
___ Lies live. Bad as it was, Clinton's sin would have been contained had he told the truth a year ago. He should have said: "I was wrong. I've sinned against God, my family, this woman and the American public. Please forgive me." He would have been humiliated, but we would not have an impeachment trial in 1999.
___ Character counts. No matter what else he has done, whether or not he is removed from office, Clinton will be remembered as the president who had an affair with a White House intern and embarrassed a nation. He cannot remove shame from his name. So it could be with the rest of us. If we err, we can do tragic violence to our reputations. If Christians err, we can do violence to the One whose name we bear. We must live well.
___ Hypocrisy hurts. The names of Henry Hyde and Bob Livingston also will be marked with shame throughout history. They rose to throw stones, but their sins--so similar to the president's--were found out. One wonders how many others in Congress would be impeached if a special prosecutor spent $40 million investigating them. If we are bold to accuse another, we must stand as sinners forgiven by God and live as purely as possible, or surely we will share their shame.
___ --Marv Knox

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