Roosevelt’s life can inspire us still

<p>Jan. 6, 2019, was the one hundredth anniversary of President Theodore Roosevelt’s death.</p><p>His ties to Indiana include numerous campaign trips, a surgery at St. Vincent Hospital, and the dedication of the Gen. Henry Lawton statue now located in Garfield Park. Indiana Sen. Charles W. Fairbanks served as Roosevelt’s vice president. The NCAA, headquartered in Indianapolis, annually presents the Theodore Roosevelt Award as it highest individual recognition.</p><p>Clearly, Roosevelt was a man of Christian faith. While attending Harvard University, he taught Sunday school. His family life centered on the little Dutch Reformed Church near his Sagamore Hill home.</p><p>But, just as clearly, Roosevelt was a force of unity and equality in America. He was the first president to appoint a Jewish cabinet member, and he advocated for the creation of a Jewish State. During his administration, Catholics were protected against the nativist bigotry that was plaguing our country. In October, 1901, Booker T. Washington, at Roosevelt’s invitation, became the first black American to dine at the White House.</p><p>After Roosevelt’s death, Sen. George Wharton Pepper eulogized, “We as a people have sore need of Theodore Roosevelt. Not only collectively do we need him. We need him as individuals.” In 1916, Roosevelt wrote “Fear God and Take Your Own Part,” that gave full expression to the need for consistency in our inner beliefs and our outer actions.</p><p>Roosevelt’s favorite Bible passage was Micah 6:8. The passages reads, “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”</p><p>This year, those words can be a call for you and me to be involved in the lives of others. We are actors, and not spectators. The new year will present to each us our own “crowded hour” that can be marked by courage and heroism. Roosevelt famously stated in a 1910 speech, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly.”</p><p>The legacy of Roosevelt’s inner strength was demonstrated by many outward works that continue to bless us today. The Panama Canal has been a key to the global economy. The domestic Square Deal protected the individual through conservation of natural resources, control of corporations and consumer protection. The recognition of his leadership included a place on Mount Rushmore, the Medal of Honor, and the Nobel Peace Prize.</p><p>Neither Theodore Roosevelt, nor his presidency, were perfect. But, his legacy can inspire our lives in 2019.</p>