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Kevin Anderson
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December 8th, 2007 | | Posted in 2008, Ann Marie Curling, Campaign Trail, Character, Christians, David Brody, Debates, Evangelicals, Faith, Faith in America, Governor, Kevin Anderson, Mitt Romney, Religion, Values, Victor Lunquist
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I was privileged and humbled to be in the Presidential Library’s assembly room with my good friend Vic. We were joined by Ann Marie and Rebecca who also writes on this blog. Like others we had anxiously awaited the coming of ‘the speech’.
The media were all in place and the audience was seated. Many in the room were discussing loudly amongst each other, others whispered excitedly. Some like me I imagine were even contemplating silently about what we were about to experience.
At 9:20 am a sudden unprompted hush came over the assembly and the room became silent. Secret service detail entered from the side door nearest the stage and took their positions. They stood straight -faced and erect… and they waited.
At 9:25am Mrs. Barbara Bush entered the room with the elegance and class that defines the image of a First Lady. In an instant, the silence was shattered as the crowd raised to their feet and gave her a thunderous applause of respect and admiration. She smiled to the group like only a grandmother could, and was seated.
At 9:30 am the door opened again. Emerging into the room with all the dignity and humility of his former office as the 41st President of the United States, President George Herbert Walker Bush was greeted to another eruption of applause from the audience as he escorted Governor Mitt Romney, his wife Ann, and his family into the room and up onto the stand.
The former President took to the podium and welcomed those in attendance and gave a warm and heartfelt introduction to Governor Mitt Romney. He related his friendship with the Romney family and his appreciation for others. But this was not to be his moment, so he turned the microphone over to the Governor.
By this writing most of you have probably heard the speech with its many commentaries and political dissections so I won’t go into that with this blog. But I want to share some personal observations, feelings and emotion unlike any that I have felt before.
This was more than an incredible speech. For me and so many others, it was a spiritual moment. If you had been in the room with us you would have felt an overwhelming spirit that encased and validated the very essence of Faith in America . It was bigger than Romney and bigger than any one or any combination of religions represented in that room. I sensed that I was witnessing divinely inspired history in the making that transcended any campaign or personal agenda. The spirit was overwhelming. Many commented on what they felt and the fact that we had all been touched by something greater than each of us.
As I bathed in this incredible feeling, my mind played images of other defining moments in our nation’s history including a time when the founding fathers met secretly to decide the fate and future our nation. I silently thought about other critical decision making moments in history that faced past great Presidents. It has been recorded by them that during those crucial times they felt they had been moved by something greater than them, something spiritual, helping to direct their cause. Not for them personally, but for the good of the nation and its people. As Romney gave his now historical speech, I think I felt that same feeling. Others did too.
This was one of those spiritual moments that was good for the nation.
I spoke with the Reverend Lou Sheldon afterwards in the lobby. Reverend Sheldon is head of the Traditional Values Coalition which claims to be the largest non-denominational grassroots church lobby in America. I asked him how he personally felt about the speech. He summed it up the way many felt. He told me “This is what we call in the Evangelical world ‘a God thing’. I felt it, I cried, Romney cried, who didn’t? It was a defining moment in American history. The content was so profound“.
Jewish leader and businessman, David Nierenberg who was dressed in his religious shawl and yarmulke to show respect and reverence for the occasion confessed to me that he too was touched and wept. He also told me, “It’s not how you worship or what you wear. I’ve come here dressed like this to signify that fact.”
Dr. Richard Land, head of the 20 million member Southern Baptist Convention said, “America needed this more than Romney did.” He continued, “This is a ringing reminder of what we really need to believe.”
During the speech was a man sitting in front of me who I watched with interest. His initial countenance seemed to reflect one of distrust. When the room erupted with applause during the first half of the speech, he remained motionless. His face showed some discomfort. During the last half of the speech he began to change little by little … giving a short applause with a half smile and sometimes an occasional nod of approval which he didn’t seem to want to display too openly. However, near the end he began to seem quite involved. He elbowed the woman next to him with a big grin and he applauded approvingly. His countenance had changed completely and he told the woman next to him, “now that was really good.” I don’t know anything about this man or the people sitting next to him. I don’t know if he came with an agenda, or was leery of the speech; he may have even been an ardent supporter of Romney who was just taking awhile to warm up. But nonetheless, I watched as his countenance changed and he was touched by the deeper message of the speech. 
Just as Dr Richard Land implied by his comments, this speech was much bigger than Romney. It was bigger than any single religion or agenda in the room. All who listened seemed touched and inspired. I was. And I felt humbled and grateful to be there.
We all gathered into the lobby after the speech. Someone said it felt “electrified”. At the very least it was energized with activity and discussion about the speech. Beyond those that I mentioned above, here are a few other comments that I heard:
“It was very Presidential”, David Brody of CBN
“He has more than passed the test”, (overheard)
“He has hit this one out of the park” (overheard)
“Magnificent, it was a landmark speech”, Robert Millet
“He maximized it. It was an eloquent defense for a pluralistic religious society and was a wise thing for him (Romney) to do”… “He made some points”…. “This speech will give him (Romney) a 2nd or 3rd hearing by Evangelicals and social conservatives” … “Some things he said will be reassuring to Evangelicals.” Richard Land
“Just like Kennedy, he (Romney) did not use one sentence in defending Mormonism. You can open yourself up about your theological beliefs, but that belongs in the seminary, at church and the water cooler, but not in a Presidential debate” … “Judge me on how my faith impacts how I govern.” Richard Land
“I am not an endorser of candidates, never have, never will. But I am a supporter of religious freedom” … “It was an appropriate speech.” Richard Land
Vic Lundquist and I spoke with Glenn Beck who commented, “God is bigger than any one faith.”
All of these comments and many others that I heard that day harmonized with Governor Romney’s speech wherein he stated, “…we welcome a symphony of faiths.” Many were represented in that room.
I was not only inspired as I heard a Presidential quality speech that day, but humbled and moved to feel something greater than all of us who were there. For a moment we all seemed as one. I believe it was because of the unifying spirit of faith that prevailed. This is what America needs.
Thank you to all of those who allowed me the opportunity to witness this historical event. I only wish all of you who are reading this blog could have been in that room with the rest of us who were there. Whether Romney wins the nomination or not his inspired speech has left an indelible mark on my soul as one of life’s great spiritual experiences.
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Side Note: Vic, Kevin, Rebecca and I met up with Nancy French and Charles Mitchell from Evangelicals for Mitt, it was a very nice visit. 