Weekly Opinion Editorial
Make a Difference!
by Steve Fair
Last week two men
died who influenced my life. The first
was Milton Martin. Martin was a native Texan
who became a Baptist missionary to Mexico.
Martin served for 40 plus years in southern Mexico and was responsible
for the establishment of over 200 congregations. In 1980, I traveled with Milton, his son Bruce
(also a missionary) and Larry Adkisson, a Ft. Worth pastor friend, to the
Mexico state of Chiapas, specifically
the small town of Challan. Chiapas is
the southernmost state in Mexico, bordering Guatemala. Larry and I taught a series on the principles
of Christian music to the Tzotzil tribal pastors over a three day conference. The meetings were held in a crude structure,
which had no running water or electricity.
Most of the pastors didn’t speak Spanish, so speaking through two
translators was a challenge. The four of
us flew 900 miles into the small village by bush plane. I had
always supported missions, but I had never seen it done in person. Milton Martin was the real deal. He lived the gospel and his dedication and
the dedication of the poor people to the cause of Christ changed my life. In 1999, I was fortunate to travel back when
the Tzotzil honored Martin for his thirty plus years of ministry to their
people. Those experiences changed my
perspective on missions. I saw missions
in action and it affected both my giving and my attitude toward foreign missions
and missionaries.
The second was Dr.
Tom Coburn. Coburn died on Saturday
after a long battle with cancer. Dr. Tom
served in the U.S. House for six years and in the U.S. Senate for ten
years. Coburn was known as ‘Dr. No,’ in
the Senate because he opposed fiscal irresponsibility. His successful crusade against Senate earmarks-
also known as ‘re-lection tokens’- angered some Republicans, but it removed a
practice that primarily benefited incumbents.
Coburn was a passionate advocate for Congressional term limits and a
balanced budget amendment. He believed
an Article Five convention was the only way to it done. I agreed with the need for a balanced budget
amendment and term limits, but believed (and still do) that an Article Five
convention was not the right vehicle.
Dr. Tom and I wrote opposing op/eds that appeared in newspapers throughout
Oklahoma on our positions on an Article Five.
While irritated at me for not agreeing with him, Coburn was never mean
spirited. During one conversation with
Dr. Tom he said, “Steve, it is our only
hope (the Article Five) to get it done.
The people we have in Washington will never pass term limits and a
balanced budget amendment. They spend
all their time running for re-election.”
He later told me he thought America may have ‘went
past the point of no return’ with our ballooning national debt and lack of
fiscal responsibility. I hope the good
doctor was wrong.
To my knowledge, Milton Martin and Tom Coburn
didn’t know each other, but they shared many common characteristics. They were both genuine individuals and lived
out their convictions. They were
transparent, plain- spoken and neither suffered fools. They both made a difference in people’s lives,
including mine. I count it a great blessing to have known both men, who were
both believers and now reside in heaven.
Martin and Coburn are great
examples to us to make a difference during our time on earth.
