The February 26, 2007 issue of U.S.News & World Report chronicles the ten worst U. S. presidents   (actually eleven, because of a tie). James Buchanan, Warren G. Harding, and Andrew Johnson head the list, followed by Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, John Tyler, Ulysses S. Grant, William Harrison, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon and Zachary Taylor.

            The quality that marked most failed presidencies was “passivity or inaction in the face of great historical challenges … or in the face of corruption inside their own administrations.” Some historians are quick to judge recent administrations, but most understand it is premature to judge without the perspective of time. Long-range consequences are difficult to judge.

            Could you list the ten worst experiences or events of your life (or at least what you thought were the ten worst at the time)? Some would probably come to mind quickly—death of a loved one, a serious illness, fired from a job, etc. If you were to take time to evaluate these, I suspect that you would discover two things.

First, you would find that some of the things that seemed to be the very worst thing that ever happened, such as losing a job, were not so bad after all. While it may have been a stressful crisis of life, it may also have caused you to make improvements in your life that you never thought possible, such as a new and better job, etc.

Second, although some events have no “silver lining,” with the perspective of time, you would see that although it was unbearably painful at the time, you did bear the pain. Historians should not be too hasty to judge presidents, nor should we the events of our lives.

In the midst of trial, David asked, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” But then he realized, “I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:1, 5-6). Hasn’t He dealt bountifully with all of us?

The Ten Worst

by Bob Prichard

www.oxfordchurchofchrist.com