God Has Called the Loan

 Yesterday, Katherine Limbaugh came on at 12:07 and explained that her husband, Rush Limbaugh had passed that morning.  Ever since he had announced his diagnosis of cancer, I had been praying for him.  But clearly, he would eventually lose the battle, as we all must.  Rush, and I use his name familiarly because, even though he did know me, I can not help but feel a connection through the radio, always referred to his "talent on loan from God."  Well, God has called the loan.

I began listening to Rush during the 2000 campaign between George W. Bush and Al Gore (who invented the internet.)  Rush was one year older than I was, but unlike me, Rush was always a rock ribbed conservative.  Being surrounded by liberals and leftists, I thought what I believed was an outlier.  Rush confirmed that what I believed was not an outlier, but actually represent the beliefs of most of the people.

Rush was not one to spout principles, but he started me searching for the actual principles that undergird conservative beliefs.  Jonah Goldberg has stated that conservatism has no principles, but he is wrong.  The principles of conservatism can be found in the Bible, in Christianity, and in reality.  Rush also called himself the Mayor of Realville.  That sense that what is true can be found in these principles confirmed me in the belief that I must always speak what I believe to be true, and not use the language of the left.

Rush was actually sincere in his beliefs, but he understood that the Left was duplicitous.  And the Left was duplicitous because the Left understands that there ideas, if spoken sincerely, would not be popular.  This understanding of the Left has made me understand that these people have given in to evil.  And evil must be confronted.  At the same time, one can not be consumed by it, lest one becomes evil as well.  This may be Rush's ultimate lesson:  to be a happy warrior for God.