January 21, 2001

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C.

Dear President Bush,

Congratulations on your inauguration as the 43rd president of these United States of America. It was a splendid and inspiring day! You and your wife Laura shone brightly, as lights in the darkness, into the cold, rainy, and gloomy weather.

You dealt gracefully with your predecessor's flurry of upstaging acts, as America and much of the world looked on. You looked and acted presidential. You exuded confidence, trust, and-best of all-hope for the future of our nation.  You closed your inaugural address by proclaiming, for those who had the ears to hear, and re-printed here for those who have the eyes to read, that:

"We are not this story's author, who fills time and eternity with His purpose. Yet His purpose is achieved in our duty; and our duty is fulfilled in service to one another.  Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew that purpose today: to make our country more just and generous; to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.  This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.  "God" bless you, and "God" bless our country."

By the time you finished your excellent speech, your supporters were no doubt proudly gushing over your well-spoken words. Most, if not all, of your opponents had carefully taken notes on your promises. The liberal and secular media were already writing their stories for publication or preparing rebuttals for on-air analysis.

But how many ears actually heard your reference to an angel riding in the whirlwind? And if they did hear, how many understood this seemingly-veiled allusion? Like many allusions and metaphors and parables in the Holy Bible, your "angel in the whirlwind" has important and timely implications carrying rich and multi-layered meanings for those who study those words.

You first introduced this angel to your vast audience shortly before you closed your speech with these words, credited to Virginia statesman John Page in a letter to Thomas Jefferson after the Declaration of Independence was signed:

"We know the Race is not to the Swift nor the Battle to the Strong. Do you not think an Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?"

A quick search in a concordance of Biblical words reveals that the first sentence in Page's quotation comes directly from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. In proper context, this verse reads:
"I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all" (Ecclesiastes 9:11).

This book of Scripture is generally attributed to the writings of the wise King Solomon, and is generally considered to be intended as a philosophy of life. The implication of this particular verse is that "God" is in charge of our fortunes, in spite of all we try to do.

But what about those words, "whirlwind" and "storm?" Another search of the Biblical concordance results in the discovery of a little-known prophet, Nahum, whose name means "comfort," and who reminds the reader that:
""The Lord" is slow to anger and great in power; "the Lord" will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet" (Nahum 1:3).

The New International VersionStudy Bible interpretation of this verse is that "God" is in control of history, and He will not allow evil to persist forever.  So far, so good, President Bush, but just who is this angel who you say is riding the whirlwind and directing the storm?

You don't give the listener or reader any additional clues, but this writer would like to suggest that this angel might well be the same one whom "God" designated to Moses as he was leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt to the promised land:
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says" (Exodus 23:20-21).

We know from the dictionary that "angel" means a messenger who can be either human or divine. The New International Version Study Bible reference to this verse says, "Sometimes "God" spoke through a messenger. Some think this angel ...refers to the mystical cloud and fire (whirlwind) which led Israel through the wilderness."

This little Bible study of your Inaugural Speech conclusion has certainly given us plenty of food for thought, Mr. President. And it should certainly provide material for scholars and historians to ponder in future years.  More importantly, the citizens of these United States should all sleep easier, with the knowledge that you have yielded our nation's grand story of courage and its simple dream of dignity to our life story's author, who does indeed fill time and eternity with His purpose.

And so, this story goes on, and an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.

May "God"bless you, Mr. President, and may "God" bless our country.
Robert Durand

And now the REST OF THE STORY -- Editors emendment

Mr. Durand stopped his quote of Ex 21 in mid sentence so I will now quote it all for you in proper context:
Ex 20:20-21 (NIV)  "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.  21  Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since My Name is in him.  22  If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.  My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.  Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.  Worship ETERNAL* CREATOR, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you..."
*  I have used the words ETERNAL in place of "the Lord" and CREATOR in place of "God."

In essence our CREATOR is stating that if we do not follow His Ways, then the "Angel in the Whirlwind" will not steer us away from disaster but, insted will steer us directly into it.  Our only option seems clear, we must Quest for the Ancient of Days and I hope Mr. President that, you will set the example.
Charles J. Voss

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