There have been people through history that have made singular decisions in the midsts of living, within their river of time, that end up being the cornerstone of historic acts. It's often the simple call of duty, to a personal belief or creed, or a course chosen in the face of many alternatives that have put people on the path to important and selfless acts and even those that have since come to be known as miracles. A simple decision can also place a person in the path of a train or a barbaric hoard, sometimes with nothing to back them up but their convictions.
And there have always been barbaric hoards of various origins threatening civilization with wanton destruction and needless pain and death.
Senator and Speaker of the House John Boehner made a personal decision on Friday, Sept. 25. Perhaps due to reaching a pinnacle in his career, that was bringing the Pope to Capitol Hill, or so as to take away the insurgent members of Congress' ability to use his deposition as a threat in their quest to shut down the government, he decided to step down from his position, effective next month. "This morning, I woke up and I said my prayers, as I always do, and I decided, 'You know, today's the day I'm going to do this,'" he told reporters. "As simple as that."
If his decision was, as self described, a move to save the institution a long and destructive fight for the Speakership, or some combination of these and other factors, he has taken the first steps down an interesting new path.
Pope Francis has made similar simple decisions recently that brought him to America, among other places, for a visit. Based on his beliefs about his job and duties he has taken, or continued on, a path that includes speaking directly to the leaders of nations on behalf of those without much of a voice, and imploring the leaders of nations to do more for the planet and it's peoples. This visit also led the Holy Father on a course that intersected with that of the Speaker.
"The Pope puts his arm around me and kind of pulls me to him and says please pray for me. Who am I to pray for the Pope? But I did," Boehner said, struggling to hold back tears.
Another seminal moment for John Boehner. Did the Popes' words have something to do with the decision to step down? Has The Speaker found a higher calling than his current path or acquired a greater vision of the world, one that includes his place in history, for this day, and this era?
With this act has Boehner broken the trajectory of the insurrect House? In a time when belligerence is the hallmark of the House, was the Speaker a victim of his own Frankenstein or was he actually the only thing keeping the hoards from sacking the Capitol? In many instance, across our many years, certain people have taken a look at their place in History and decided to strike a course that took them into the teeth of conflict or onto a path of fullfillment and serenity and in his last month in office John Boehner's place in history, and his new path, will begin to appear .
Max Clow
719-660-9095 Colorado Springs, CO
