Accomplishing More In Failures

In his award-winning Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy tells the story of George W. Norris of Nebraska.  Norris began his career as a country teacher on the plains of Nebraska, then a small-town lawyer, a local prosecuting attorney and judge.  In 1903, he entered the House of Representatives, and he was later elected to the Senate.  Kennedy describes him as a "chunky figure" clothed in "drab black suits, white shirts, and little shoestring ties."

Norris was an independent-thinking Republican who sometimes took up unpopular causes and fought uphill battles, saying, "I would rather go down to my political grave with a clear conscience than ride in the chariot of victory."

Interestingly, he lost many of his most anguishing political fights.  But years later, looking back over his life and career, Norris made this observation to a friend:  It happens very often that one tries to do something and fails.  He feels discouraged, and yet he may discover years afterward that the very effort he made was the reason why somebody else took it up and succeeded.  I really believe that whatever use I have been to progressive civilization has been accomplished in the things I failed to do rather than in the things I actually did do.

- John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage (Pocket Books, Inc., 1956)

Walk The Talk, That's What We're Looking For

A man in a rural county down south was campaigning for a seat in the Senate.  One rainy, miserable evening there was a knock on the door.  A man he didn't know stood outside, soaking wet.  "I need help," the man said.  "My car is stalled down the road.  Would you help me?"

"Sure," said the candidate.  When they reached the car, the owner got in and turned the key.  The car started up immediately.

"I don't understand," said the would-be senator.  "There was nothing wrong with your car."

The other man smiled.  "I know.  I also know that this state needs a good man up there in Washington," he explained.  "I just wanted to know if you were the kind of man I could vote for.  Now I know.  You've got my vote."

- Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker's Quote Book (Christian Literature Crusade, 1997)

Hopelessness In The Midst Of All The Pleasure

According to Thomas Reeves in his book about John F. Kennedy, A Question of Character, JFK became very promiscuous after the deaths of his brother and sister, Joe and Kathleen.  Feeling that he hadn't long to live himself, he "accelerated his pursuit of pleasure.  Especially after Eunice moved out of the Georgetown house in 1948, girls went in and out of Jack's bed in such numbers that he often neglected to learn their first names, referring to them the next morning merely as "sweetie" or "kiddo."

"Jack confided a bit in one woman who resisted his advances... (She later wrote): 'During one of these conversations I once asked him why he was doing it--why he was acting like his father, why he was avoiding real relationships, why he was taking a chance on getting caught in a scandal at the same time he was trying to make his career take off.  He took a while trying to formulate an answer.  Finally he shrugged and said, "I don' know, really.  I guess I can't help it."'"

He spoke those words with a "sad expression on his face.  He looked like a little boy about to cry."

- Thomas C. Reeves, A Question of Character (The Free Press, 1991)

Caring Is Best Explained When Demonstrated

Years ago I flew to Minneapolis to speak at a conference at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Near downtown Minneapolis my taxi stopped at a red light four cars back from the crosswalk. I noticed a homeless man lurching between the cars in the middle of the street. When he got to the front of my taxi, he fell and landed on his chin. His chin split open, and there was blood all over the place.

As I looked at this man six feet away, these thoughts went through my head:
1. I have a brand-new suit on that Gail just bought me. I can’t afford to get messed up.
2. I have to get to the convention center to speak in fifteen minutes.
3. I’m in a strange city, and I don’t know what to do.
4. I don’t have any medical training. I wouldn’t know how to help this guy.

I wonder if underneath there wasn’t a fifth thought: If you’re dumb enough to get that drunk, why should someone stop and help you?

For a few seconds those thoughts militated against any movement on my part. Before I could come to better senses, other people came rushing to this man’s help, and I was able to get back into my taxi and go on to the convention center to speak about sensitivity and caring for the needs of other human beings. Isn’t that stupid?

 — Gordon MacDonald, from the sermon “Pointing to Jesus: Generosity,” 
Grace Chapel, Lexington, Massachusetts 
(February 22, 1998)