March 4, 2013

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1, 2

Well, it’s here—sequestration, that is.

You may recall that I posted about that possibility in January, and now the automatic (and draconian) budget cuts have kicked in because of Congress’s lack of action.

As I mentioned in the post, the National Park Service is one of the government agencies affected. Each park unit will have to decrease its budget by 5%, which Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says will lead to reduced hours at visitor centers, and the curtailing of tours and interpretive programs. Access to backcountry trails and campgrounds also may be limited. Park personnel could be subject to involuntary furloughs. You can read more about the sequester’s impact here and here.

As my character in my one-woman show says, “I can only shake my head at the folly of politics in our nation’s capital.” The line never fails to get a rueful chuckle from the audience. The play’s setting may be in 1880, but it seems some things never change.

Another thing that never changes is the need for prayer. Scripture contains several verses commending us to pray for our government officials (see Romans 13:1, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13-17). It’s not only good for them, but for us: the act of interceding for those in authority—even telling God how frustrated and angry we are with them—and trusting in Him to answer, enables us to live more peacefully, sequestration or not.