DIRECTOR'S BLOG

Dr. Sam Martin

‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.’ Psalm 119 v 105.

A Conflicted Donald Trump Tries a New Tactic: Sticking to the Script

After months of flailing attempts, Donald J. Trump has begun to recast his political message in more structured terms and wrestle with his temptation to go off script….”

No this is not a Political post even although it is being written on the day of the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. It is rather a very important lesson from the campaign of Mr. Trump. So put your thinking camp on and consider this:

The words above from the New York Times in late August were repeated in every media outlet. It was evident that if Donald Trump was going to have a chance in the election, he would have to stay on script, use a teleprompter. Too often he would say things that resulted in criticism from every quarter, even from many in the Republican Party. Being a kind of political junkie, I have to confess there was a tremendous difference when he spoke from a prepared transcript. Anyway it was the words ‘sticking to the script’ that really challenged me and that is why I am writing this blog.

One of the biggest problems today results, I believe, from the fact we have a society that has wandered from the ‘Script.’ Indeed even Churches and Christians have turned away from the script, so Donald Trump is not alone! Of course by script, “I mean the Word of God, the Bible!’ If only we would live by the Word of God, life would be so much better. Honestly, we need to get back to the ‘Script’ (Bible).

Away back in 1757 a 22 year old man, Robert Robinson wrote a thought provoking hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” In the hymn’s there is a line that always challenges me to examine my life. The line says:

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.”

To be honest it is so easy to wander from the God we love, yes wander from the ‘Script’ and then we get into all kinds of problems, we do and say things we regret and cause problems in so many ways. In the words of David (Psalm 119 v 10) we need to pray: ‘do not let me stray from your commands!’

As a Mission we strive to teach children and young people the ways of God and pray they will always stay on script!

It is not only Donald Trump who needs to keep on script, but all of us!