In Memory of
President Ronald Reagan
(1911-2004)
America is grieving. We have lost leaders before him; we will lose others in the years to come. But Ronald Reagan's impact on the people of America was so profound that we may never recover from the loss. The United States has become the ultimate fatherless child.
In 1980, America was in a terrifying place. Living with constant nuclear threat and struggling with the Iranian hostage crisis. But then, like the Cavalry arriving in a Western movie, Reagan ended the cold war. And he did it with not one shot being fired. And this happened, not because "it was time for Communism to end", but because of Ronald Reagan. And we all slept a little easier just knowing he was in charge.
Ronald Reagan once said, "Those who say that we live in a time when
there are no heroes ... they just don't know where to look". For
so many of us, he was that hero.
We each have special things that come to mind when we think of President Reagan. A particular movie from his acting days, a certain speech from his White House years, the twinkle in his eye or perhaps that eternal wit. Pastor Steve's wife, Nancy, worked with the Office of White House Advance (1976-1990), and her fondest memories of President Reagan are of him joking about her name ("Nancy ... my favorite name!) and of a caring, compassionate man who listened to a daughter talk of her father's time spent as a World War II Seabee.
In 1994, Ronald Reagan, the man who had taken on the challenge of
ending the great "evil" of Communism, announced to the world his
personal challenge of what he called "the long goodbye". And for
the next ten years, the raveages of Alzheimer's Disease took it's toll
until, on June 5, 2004, the man who stood for freedom was finally
himself set free from the disease that had begun to take him from us
ten years before. In a beautiful reminder of his comforting words to
a grieving nation after the tragedy of the Challenger disaster, Ronald
Reagan had "slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of
God".
As President Reagan was taken to his place of final rest, his son Michael shared from his heart of the greatest gift his Father had given him... the knowledge and assurance that he was now in Heaven with Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. Ronald Reagan spoke often of his "shining City on the Hill". And now he has been given citizenship to a City, the brilliance of which no human eye has ever beheld. And he sits with his Heavenly Father ... no doubt, just to the right, as always.
Farewell, Mr. President. As you commented yourself on leaving office ... "Not bad. Not bad at all".
Midi="America (My country Tis of thee)"