One Man in a Thousand

One Man in a Thousand, Solomon says,
Will stick more close than a brother...

So begin the words of a famous poem by Rudyard Kipling. For the full text, please go and look up http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_thousandth.htm.

This poem is important due to its capture of the nature of human relationships. Many people, and this is especially true in our fluid society of the 21st century, are interested in the money a person has, or in their looks, or their great deeds or power. The degree of shallowness that is exhibited, and in some cases, even celebrated, by our culture is unheard of in the annals of history.

What Kipling's poem recognizes is that a person's spirit is the essence of what they are. It is this spirit that encompases good or evil, kindness or pettyness. Unfortunately, our society has seen more politicians with a spirit of pettyness, childishness, and outright evil. There are some politicians in our society today who not only would find Kipling's poem outdated, but would be mystified by the concepts of love, loyalty and brotherhood that it discusses.

As we start the run-up to our national elections, look at the politicians running. Look at their public statements, both about the other and about other people. Are they the persons you want making decisions which affect not only the economy of this nation, but the overall well-being of our people? Don't decide on this issue alone, but I urge you, consider this factor among the other facts as you make your decisions.