Thursday, April 26, 2007

Brownback for Pres

Reading this article gives some great insight.

Faith-Based Initiative - washingtonpost.com

"So easy to judge people," he says. "I see you coming in the hallway and my mind just automatically goes, 'Okay, reporter, Washington Post, that's a primarily liberal publication, be careful.' Well, now I've automatically judged you. So I've spent my time judging you instead of thinking, 'Oh, here's a great person that I can interact with. I pray to love 'em.' "

Love, sweet love. Brownback examines his soul for hate and tries to excise any malignancies. Some years back, he says, he apologized to Hillary Clinton at a prayer breakfast for having despised her and her husband.

"I'm ashamed to say it but I did. And I felt -- justified in my hate," he says, his tone bitter, as if reliving an ancient betrayal. "I disagree politically but there is no call to hate. And it was wrong, it's a sin, and I went to her and I apologized."

That is powerful. And courageous.
During visits to Israel, Brownback used to study the Torah with Ariel Sharon, calling it "each of us feeding our souls." Lately he has been reading the Koran. He says Islam's holy book talks a lot about weighing people's good deeds against their bad deeds, and this has made him appreciate Christianity more.

"That's why I love grace so much. And mercy," he says. "Think of the burden that is on a person, that you're going to be weighed. And all of us fall short.
Not your typical close-minded Christian.

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