|
My Mission As Mayor
August 22, 1997
When I was in high school, I dreamed of becoming an inner-city minister, with a ministry not just to the spiritual, but also to the physical and social needs of my congregation and community. Now, I am the Mayor of Jersey City, and my primary
responsibilities concern the physical and social well-being of this community. Yet I dream of uplifting its spirit as well!
True, being Mayor is mostly about potholes and policing. But man does not live by bread alone. The rock star, Kurt Cobain, had everything from a material point of view, but destroyed himself because he felt empty inside. He never found Nirvana.
When a whole generation appears similarly lost, could it be that those who know better are partially to blame, for not sharing the secrets of salvation?
I believe in the separation of Church and State, but not in the exorcism of God from society. After all, this country was founded upon the belief that there are such things as objective truths, moral responsibilities, and standards of justice, which
are not mere creations of human will, but of the divine Creator. The government should not push one political philosophy or one religious faith, but it is appropriate for political leaders to speak of their own individual political philosophy and religious
faith, for it is specifically in the free expression and competition of ideas that truth is discerned from folly. Community leaders, especially those in the bully pulpits of elected office, have a duty to share how they believe we can achieve a land ofhappiness, righteousness, and justice.
Accordingly, when I walk along the streets of Jersey City, I try to teach our children that the true source of human happiness is not relative, nor is the character of the good life, nor that of the just society. I try to teach our children that happiness
proceeds from the belief that life is a precious gift for which God is to be praised and obeyed with a joyful heart, not because of circumstances but in spite of them. I try to teach our children that goodness proceeds from the belief that love is the
strongest power in the world, and that if they let the power of God's love
flow through them there is nothing which can prevent them from achieving a life of meaningful contribution to others. I try to teach our children that justice proceeds from the
belief that all men and woman are created equal, perhaps not in size or shape, intelligence or athletic ability, but rather, as Abraham Lincoln said, in their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I am sometimes criticized for "preaching" too much, but I am far more
often encouraged to preach more. Like me, I believe that most Americans feel that the greatest challenge which our nation faces is the need to reverse our spiritual and moral decline.
And like me, I believe that most Americans believe the responsibility lies chiefly with us, not with government. We must be willing to speak openly of spiritual matters, and to have the courage to challenge one another to turn away from wrong and to commit
ourselves to the right and just.
As for government, it should not be in the business of pushing one religion over another, but it should teach those timeless principles of equality of opportunity, inalienable human rights, and democracy upon which this nation was founded -- and it should
then get out of the way and stop trying to exorcize religious faith from society.
I dream of an America which is both free and good. Where high school graduation speakers can tell young people about the spiritual, as well as the secular, and lessons they have learned in life, without fearing that they will be sued by the ACLU.
Where school vouchers provide poor families with the same opportunity possessed
today by wealthier families to have their moral values reinforced at their children's school, instead of undercut. Where marriage is not penalized by the tax code.
As for my dreams about my own personal life, I am living them. God has given me an opportunity to try and uplift my community physically, socially, and spiritually. Not all of my dreams for this community have been fulfilled, but the fact that I can fight
for these dreams has already fulfilled my dreams for myself. Ultimately, in my opinion, the good fight is the good life!
|
