For many of us the events of recent years have pushed us to the limits of our tolerance. We are at a point of “Drawing a line in the sand” and have had enough. But where does that phrase originate?
In 168 B.C. the Assyrian ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the Great, discovered that Egypt was in a weakened condition and might just be his for the taking. Being full of self-confidence, after all “Epiphanes” can be interpreted as “God Manifest in Man,” Antiochus marched with his army to the border of Egypt only to learn that the Roman ambassador Gaius Popillis Laenas was already on the scene. Ordered to cease any thoughts of an attack on Egypt by Popillis, Antiochus asked for time to consult with his council.
Hearing this Popillis drew his sword and drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus. He then conveyed, “Decide before you leave this circle.” Antiochus was instantly transformed into a man with self-doubt, not self-confidence, and decided to withdraw. On the way home he took the dishonorable action of sacking Jerusalem and later went so far as to set up an alter to Zeus in the Temple.
This story conveys the current situation with politics in Washington. Too often we see our elected officials on both sides of the aisle kick the can down the road on critical issues. To appease constituents, they often yield to the pressure of the day and take actions they know are not in the long-term interest of our nation. Too often they are “erecting alters to Zeus” just to gain votes and preserve their positions. As voters it is time to draw a line in the sand and figure out which of our elected officials are there for the ride and which are there to make the difficult decisions that will get our Country back on track to greatness.
Our adversaries in the world are not concerned with gender issues, or hollow climate change promises, or giving out money for votes. They are focused on greatness and relegating us to the annals of time.
