The highlight of this week is perhaps the attached Op-Ed letter I submitted to the Wall Street Journal(WSJ). We also had a very consequential Zoom call Tuesday with the “We the People” group. I want to send you details about that next week.

Please find attached an Op-Ed letter that I’ve written and rewritten. It captures well my thoughts about what needs to happen for America to be able to move forward in a meaningful way to address our debt.

I am hopeful that my local paper in Kingfisher and The Oklahoman will print it at some point, but the WSJ is very picky that they have exclusive rights for first publication.

So, right or wrong, I’m playing by their rules.

But why write the Op-Ed? If I’m just writing in hopes to advance my own notoriety, that is not helpful, not necessary, and just plain wrong.

So, here’s the reason. While I felt like I’ve said everything in this piece before, I don’t feel like I’ve ever publicly submitted an Op-Ed that makes all these points: ·The Bible matters. From Proverbs 15v22, which says “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed,” to all the teachings of Jesus, the Bible matters.

· George Washington’s farewell address matters. Washington, like Coburn, left us instructions. We need to read them. We need to heed them.

·“No Budget No Pay” is a simple, powerful way to move forward toward a full solution. No Budget No Pay resonates with Americans. Right now, during the government shutdown, we have an opportune time to discuss and debate it.

It would be a mistake to not advance this in public discourse in any way we can.

So, those are my reasons. I hope you’ll take time to readtheletter. Ifyouhave comments, I hope you’ll share them with me.

Thank you for your support and prayers!

R. Brian Walter
Matthew 20 V 26-28

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For our common good, Division, Dysfunction and Debt Jesus, George Washington, and Tom Coburn

The political division in America is a very real threat to the future of our grandchildren. The evidence is easy to spot. It sounds like a rifle shot, looks like a corpse, and smells like death.

Within a 90-day window earlier this year, prominent representatives of both political parties were assassinated by fringe members of the other party who were fueled by hate coming from many sources in today’s political arena. It was ugly, unfortunate, unproductive, unnecessary, Un-American, and worst of all it was in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus.

Our Congress is so dysfunctional it has not done its most basic job in over 25 years. The last time Congress performed its basic job of passing all 12 Federal appropriation bills and a budget by October 1, the beginning of the Federal fiscal year, was in 1997.

Our national debt stands today at $37 trillion. It increases by $1 million approximately every 16 seconds, which is approximately $5 billion per day. Such growth is absolutely unsustainable. When something cannot be sustained, it collapses. America is barreling towards fiscal collapse at an ever-increasing speed.

So what are we to do? One thing we can do is look to the advice of wise counselors. Jesus, George Washington, and Tom Coburn are three wise advisors who left us clear warnings and instructions, recorded in writing. Their words are clear, powerful, and applicable for the triple threat we now face in America of division, dysfunction, and debt.

Americans who are thoughtful enough to consider rational ideas and solutions realize that until we address our division, little of consequence can be accomplished. The fact is that today our Federal government is shut down precisely because of our bitter partisan division.

Jesus gives us a clear warning that a nation divided against itself will come to ruin. He gives a prescription for healing our division by telling His followers to love their enemies. He commands his followers to not judge, but rather to first correct their own sins. Jesus said, “First remove the plank from your own eye, then you may see clearly to remove the speck from your brother‘s eye.”

If our nation, which was founded by followers of Christ, is to address its ruinous division, today’s Christians are going to have to stop blaming and hating and embrace the difficult commands of Jesus. Only love has the power to cure the division that grips our nation. The Bible tells us, “Love never fails.”

George Washington, who not only led the war for independence, but also presided over the formation of our Constitution knew a nation governed by the people would face serious challenges. He recorded powerful instructions and warnings in his farewell address. Washington warned us against factionalism. He stressed the importance of morality and a reverence for God. He urged all citizens to unite for the common good of the nation. We have not heeded his instructions or warnings. We have ignored his writings at our own peril.

Tom Coburn was among the earliest to recognize that our debt would be the final nail in our nation‘s coffin if it is not addressed. Coburn, like Jesus and Washington, advocated for sacrificial leadership rather than hateful and counterproductive blaming. He worked, until cancer took his life, to advance the cause of amending our Constitution to address our debt.

One simple non-partisan idea Coburn endorsed for inclusion in a Constitutional Amendment was the No Budget No Pay Act.

The No Budget No Pay Act is based on the Bible. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 tells us that one who does not work should not expect to eat. In Matthew 20:28 Jesus commands His followers to seek to serve, not to be served. No Budget No Pay is awaiting passage in our Congress today as Senate Bill 88. The bill has the support of both Republican and Democratic Senators. The bill simply says Congress will pass a budget and all 12 federal appropriation bills by October 1 or Congress members will go without pay until they do with no provision for retroactive pay.

Good fences make good neighbors. Good rules make for a good government. Our government is broken. We the people are ultimately in charge in our free society. We need to demand change. We who are Christ followers must lead with love and sacrifi ce in accordance with the true teachings of Jesus.

Join the effort to say enough is enough. It is time to address our division, dysfunction, and debt by putting the Bible based principles built into No Budget No Pay in place through Constitutional Amendment in America.

For our common good,

R. Brian Walter,
Founder Unity above Self in America
Matthew 20:26-28