I was saddened to hear of the passing of William F. Buckley Jr on Wed. morning this week. He was found in his study at his desk, perhaps working on his syndicated column he has written for well over 50 years. Sometime Wed. morning, February 27, 2008. Buckley slipped into eternity ending the life of one of the greatest intellectual and political thinkers of the 20th century.
In many ways William Buckley was my hero for much of my life. He centered me in the
Judea- Christian Worldview during my teens which was in the
turbulent 1960's when christian and civil morals were abandoned and authority was ignored and rebellion was the spirit of the age. The magazine he founded, National Review was my basic reading material every two weeks and for years I subscribed to it. It was my intellectual food and drink during my college years at Jacksonville University in the early 1970's. I was exposed to academic liberalism for the first time during those years and remained rock solid in my morals and lifestyle because of Buckley's columns which were always intellectual stimulating, logical and challenging to the established Liberal Left Wing of Politics which dominated campus life.
Buckley had a way of being disagreeable in a wonderful and charming way, always respecting his opponents but
rebutting them by wit and humor and a magnificent vocabulary which held his friends and foes alike in awe. Those that I opposed politically always respected Buckley for his intelligence and panache. He made
conservatism a respectable political position of ideas and proposals, which is so unlike the Conservatism seen today on shrill talk radio programs which mangle the political discourse reducing it to personal attacks and partisan political rhetoric. Buckley also showed how one's Christian's beliefs can be joined into a logical and moral political position which is persuasive and effective and practical.
He wrote well over 50 books in his life including 10 spy thriller novels. He played the harpsichord, composed music, sailed around the world, loved a good cigar , stimulating
conversation, and close friendships with his political opponents like Joe
Lieberman, and John Kenneth Galbraith.
I owe much of my intellectual and moral moorings to this man who lived an amazing life and had a beautiful mind by which he expressed his ideas and opinions in elegant language. He built my vocabulary at an early age without me realizing it. People have often asked me about how I developed such a large vocabulary and I did not realize it until Buckley's passing that he was a major contributor to my education in words, language, ideas, politics and religion. He was a true Renaissance man. I cannot help but think of how much we need more men raised up in our culture like him today. But I am afraid he is one of a kind. One of the most
brilliant and gifted men of the 20t
h century who lived a full 82 years and who impacted the political landscape more than most presidents and helped elect one of the greatest presidents in recent history in Ronald Reagan. He was instrumental with his writings to bring down Communism around the World. He did it with his pen and not with the sword. He was a man for all seasons.
Dear Lord, thank you for his life, a good man and not a perfect man but a man who contributed so much to our way of life in this world. He meant so much to my life. Comfort his grieving faimily during this time.
May you raise up more men like William F. Buckley Jr. for this and future generations.We need men like him more than ever.
in the name of Christ I pray, Amen.
