Renaissance Men

Let me just say that it's been a few interesting weeks. Upon falling on my knee during an interior design mishap, I became acutely aware that this would not be a quick fix. Something I've grown accustomed to in my life has always been "muscling through". This was not such an instance. The pain was unbearable and surgery was imminent. It affected me career wise, with the revoking of a military school, and subsequently financially as well. I also decided to spend those few weeks in Pennsylvania because Fox News had filled out the next months schedule. PA is a strange beast as its my favorite place, yet its not my home... right now. I did this because its cheaper and my parents have internet and air conditioning, two non-essentials for an urbanite in Obama's economy. Despite all this, I've been very resourceful. In the last few weeks I've become involved in a small business (thats all I'm saying right now), applied for a graduate certificate in DC, and assembled most of my materials for an MBA program at Del Val College. Other things like paying bills, brewing beer, fishing, reading 5 books, finishing a journal, running, hiking, swimming, building a deer blind for hunting season, and spending time with folks I haven't seen in years have occupied my time. Trips to Cabela's, Penn State, Eagles training camp and even heading back to NYC for roof top parties and Vacation Bible School training camp have been welcomed surprises. All this to say... I've come to the conclusion that I can do a lot with God.

I was called a Renaissance Man the other day and it kind of hit me. Granted I have a lot of hobbies. Some I do well, others I'm an amateur at best. And then theirs things I do horribly... like working on cars. Bloody horrible. But what if God calls us, to be Renaissance Men? What if we're supposed to be eclectic in our talents and works. When you look at the founding fathers and their occupations, most had several. Washington was a surveyor, farmer, soldier, politician, and businessman. Adams was a farmer, lawyer, politician, and writer. Jefferson was farmer, inventor, lawyer, politician, businessman, writer, soldier and architect. And these are just the first three Presidents. Benjamin Rush was doctor, writer, professor, psychologist, and politician. John Witherspoon was the only clergy to sign the declaration but he too was a politician and yet he was also the President of Princeton University.

I admire these men due to our nation's founding, but also their desire to be great and to understand their world through a diverse scope of experience and understanding. Why is it that our leaders today are so monolithic in their experience? How can one lead without the central quality of experience? Such experience is an umbrella for education, business, leadership, military, and other fields. When I see NOTHING BUT lawyers hold leadership posts I'm discouraged. Not because they're lawyers, but because we've allowed ourselves to be hoodwinked into believing rhetoric is the sole distinction of leadership. I admire each of these professions but any understanding alone can simply not warrant high office. Paired or even coupled with multiple educations, multiple experiences in business, leadership, and military positions make for those who can and will make articulate reasoning. I ask why people who haven't taken economic classes or ever owned a business making economic or business decisions based on things they've "heard" or read about?

My call for American leadership is for the Renaissance Men (and women) to stand up and take charge, before those with nothing but mediocre talents and ivy league educations let our republic crumble. Is it a wonder that our founders all studied Roman and Greek history? Is it a wonder that their studies combined the ideas of Reformation and Enlightenment? We strive to wonder how we can be great, yet were not willing to truly understand our first great men.