No Nikita Khrushchev

Mindful that "the heart is deceitful above all things," I wonder how I would feel about President Obama if he looked like Nikita Khrushchev. What got me thinking along those lines was his firing of GM's CEO Rick Wagoner. I thought to myself, "What if . . . had done that?"

No one likes to think that about herself---that her common sense and good judgment could be affected in any way by appearances. We like to believe that we wear Lady Justice's blindfold as we hold the measuring balances.

But history is littered with the seduction of charm (Proverbs 31:30) and appearances. The Scripture makes a point of saying about ancient Israel's first choice of King: "There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9:2).

Saul didn't work out so well. When Samuel had to pick his successor, God told the prophet: "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Then of course there was David's son Absalom, who through sheer charm "stole the hearts of the men of Israel" and nearly the monarchy. And we know that when the Antichrist finally comes, one way we will identify him is that he will be wildly popular, to the point of worship (Revelation 13:8).

I have decided that the way to handle my potential blind spot is to more rigorously keep evaluating the deeds of national leaders against the plumb line of Scripture.

Still, I wish the man would wear a bag over his head and speak like Tiny Tim.

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