Good leaders, bad leaders & vanities

Dwight D. Eisenhower was president when I was born.

Then, followed J.F. Kennedy and I well remember the assassination and watching all that followed on the television (a little set that displayed a black and white image if the rabbit ears were working properly).

Then, there was Lyndon B. Johnson, then Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barak Obama, Donald Trump and most recently, Joe Biden — 13 in all including Mr. Biden.

Every election year, people seem to passionately proclaim the benefits of their own “side” or party while disparaging that of the opposing party. There are those who proclaim gloom and doom over the “wrong” person winning. And, many of those people don’t realize that same emotion has been expressed for more than 200 years by people passionate about their politics. Ultimately, does one person make a monumental difference in the direction the country runs?

I don’t have the answer, but I know we can study history and see that today’s problems are not really new, just dressed differently.

Even throughout the history of the world, the monarchs of various European countries and the kings of Israel, one can read of good kings and bad kings.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes:

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

What profit has a man from all his labor

In which he toils under the sun?

One generation passes away, and another generation comes;

But the earth abides forever.

The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,

And hastens to the place where it arose.

The wind goes toward the south,

And turns around to the north;

The wind whirls about continually,

And comes again on its circuit.

All the rivers run into the sea,

Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again. All things are full of labor;

Man cannot express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing,

Nor the ear filled with hearing.

That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”?

It has already been in ancient times before us.

There is no remembrance of former things,

Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come

By those who will come after.” Ecclesiastes 1:2-10 NKJV.

Solomon closes the book of Ecclesiastes with this conclusion: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

For most of us reading this, we are not politically powerful nor influential. Yes, our vote is important and should be cast. We should, if called, work for the good of our community, our county or state or nation, but we should consider the larger picture and not get overwrought by things we can not change.

For me, I believe King Solomon’s final words in Ecclesiastes, are wise counsel: “Fear God, and keep his commandments.”

••• Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas for five years. The opinions expressed are those of the author. She can be reached at abeard@nwadg.com.