Presumptive nominee John McCain is back to his old ways -- speaking to La Raza and promising comprehensive immigration reform. Can conservatives trust McCain? Should we start a movement to dump him from the ticket? Let us know what you think.

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5/16/2008

Barack Hussein Obama has come unglued because of something President Bush said. In a speech to Israel's Knesset, Bush said... 

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Monday, May 19

Richard Collins - 9:30AM
Founder of the premier Hillary Clinton educational website StopHerNow.com Collins has declared StopHerNow.com’s mission accomplished and how now launched Stop-Him-Now.com to do the same to Sen. Obama.

FIND INFORMATION on how to carry The Lynn Woolley Show in your market.

LOGICAL ITEMS for Logical people. If it is not found here, it's not logical.

The Death of Talk Radio?
A politically-powerful liberal-left movement seeks to silence conservative media personalities. This book analyzes the threat from the perspective of veteran talk show host Lynn Woolley and media analyst and critic Cliff Kincaid.

Clear Moral Objectives
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Finally, here's a book that examines the nation's twelve big challenges in clear, logical terms -- no spin and no parsing of words.

The Last Great Days of Radio
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A mixture of humor, wit, and nostalgia, this memoir follows one radio career from a small station in a small market all the way to the largest radio newsroom in Texas -- and back again.

Wes Riddle's Horse Sense
October 22, 2007

The Parable of the Talents (see Matthew 25: 14-29) is one of my favorites, because of the many layers of meaning and ways of looking at the story.  Like so much in Scripture there is a literal, physically real and no less true meaning; but there are also allegorical or metaphorical meanings besides, which plumb into concepts and often inform situations different from those depicted.  I take the inspired word of the Bible as my sufficient guide to eternal life.  If that be prejudice, then so be it. 

The parable tells the story of a lord and presumably wealthy man, who took a long journey to another country.  He could have gone on a pleasure cruise, but details of the story suggest he may have been traveling in pursuit of business opportunity, for business development or trade relationships.  At any rate, he had money in large denominations called talents, which he entrusted to three servants at home, so they could invest for him.  His servants were literally those in his employ, who performed various services.  They weren’t necessarily household servants; they could have been skilled or professional.  The wealthy man clearly considered them to be loyal and devoted, and details of the story suggest they had considerable knowledge of the man’s business, as well as his expectations for them. 

Implicitly these servants had abilities or talents of their own, if you will.  The wealthy man recognized their abilities and gave each an opportunity similar to those he was seeking by going abroad.  To one servant he gave five talents, to another two, and to the other one.  They could have put the money in an interest bearing account; they could have bought seed and turned a profit on the harvest; they could have loaned the money to deserving entrepreneurs at the fair rate of usury; or they could have started their own business. 

When the man returns from his trip, presumably after several years, he is no doubt happy to be back.  He calls his trusted agents together—these servants he gave money to—for their full report.  He is probably looking forward to celebrating with them; he is certainly expectant and hopes that each has done well.  The first servant reports that his investment with five talents has netted another five on top of it!  Likewise the second servant, who received two talents, reports he has doubled his money also.  To paraphrase a little, the lord says to them “Well done, good and faithful servants!  You’ve done so well with what I’ve entrusted to you, here’s a bunch more that I earned from my trip.  Now come on into the big house.  We’ll have a party and you can tell me all about it.”  (Okay, maybe I paraphrased more than a little). 

But not so fast, here comes slinking around the corner the proverbial slothful servant.  And what did he do with the single talent he had?  He dug a hole and put it there so it remained nice and safe.  So now the wealthy man is back in town, and this servant simply hands him back the same exact coin—only with a little dirt adhering to it.  The good-natured lord suddenly turns wrathful.  After all, he could have carried that talent in his own pocket these number of years!  He’s mad at the squandered opportunity.  He’s mad the servant didn’t own up to his responsibility or honor the lord’s expectation or even fulfill his own abilities.  He’s mad that he trusted him, and the servant didn’t even try!  To paraphrase again the lord said, “You worthless clump of horse hockey, get thee hence and don’t ever let me catch your sorry self around these parts again!”  Then he handed the talent with some of the dirt falling off to the servant who had made five.  And they all lived happily ever after, except for the slothful servant who got eaten by a pack of hyenas.   

Metaphorically the wealthy man or lord is the Lord.  We are his servants.  The talents he gives is every good thing in life, as well as situations involving responsibility that we bear; all the blessings and gifts we have are dispensations from Him—i.e., we have many talents to work with.  Maybe you play guitar, maybe you turn a wrench; maybe you write sonnets, or play basketball.  Whatever it is, however many things you can do (whether five, two, one or hundreds), you have the freedom to do with them what you will, but He has expectations.  First and foremost: to use what He has given you; and then to put it to work and return it with interest in the form of praise and glory through good works.  At the time when He returns, He’ll be expectant and anxious to share both His unspeakable joy and reward beyond measure.  Woe, however, to him who has hid his light under a bushel, or buried his head and talent in the dirt. 

_____________________
Wesley Allen Riddle is a retired military officer with degrees and honors
from West Point and Oxford.  Widely published in the academic and opinion
press, he ran for U.S. Congress (TX-District 31) in the 2004 Republican
Primary.  Email: wes@wesriddle.com.