I am a

conservative (you probably have already noticed), so

watching the Republican National Convention is like

watching a pep rally for me. I sit and "amen"

to the various points made by the speakers.

In addition

to reinforcing my conservative beliefs, the convention

gives me the opportunity to hear individuals communicate

their ideas to an audience (the preacher in me loves to

study this). The Bible says in Proverbs 25:11, "A

word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of

silver." Effective communication is an art.

In my

opinion the politician who mastered this art of

communication was Ronald Reagan. He often spoke with the

passion of a prophet. Who could forget his bold

statement, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear this wall

down." He also could have the timing of a comedian.

Like in the

debate with Walter Mondale when the issue of President

Reagan's age came up and President Reagan turned it

around by saying "I refuse to exploit my opponents

youth and lack of experience for political

purposes."

At times he

could even blend the message of a prophet with the

perspective of a comedian. An example of this is when he

said, "Where else but Washington, D.C., would they

call the department that's in charge of everything

outdoors the Department of the Interior?"

The

following joke from the Cold War era has also been

attributed to President Reagan and illustrates his

ability. The joke goes as follows:

An elderly

woman entered the Kremlin and insisted on seeing the

General Secretary. Mikkhail Gorbachev agreed to meet her

and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"I

have one question," she said. "Was communism

invented by a politician or a scientist?"

"A

politician," he said.

"That

explains it," the woman replied. "A scientist

would have tried it on mice first."

I have

missed the wit and wisdom of Ronald Reagan the last few

years. For me the Convention speeches brought back

memories of the past and gave me hope for the future. I

look forward to quoting some of George W. Bush's wit and

wisdom in the future.

Chuck

Griffith is pastor of Fayette Assembly of God, 1144 Ga.

Highway 92 South in Fayetteville, 770-719-0322.

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