Charles Wright:  

After JTH, I went to the Naval Academy and majored in Physics. While there, I met a lovely young lady named Donna, who was living in the area. We married shortly after I graduated, and we have been blissful since. I served as a submarine officer for 5 years. I left the Navy. There were a number of factors involved, but I'll relate one of them. It was the mid-80's and Reagan was saber-rattling about the Soviets in Afghanistan. Tensions were much higher than most of you realize. I was on patrol in the North Atlantic when we detected a Soviet sub. We went to battle stations. I was the Officer of the Deck. For 6 hours we played cat-and-mouse, only one button push away from plunging him to the bottom of the deep. I began to question the morality of what I was doing, and ultimately left. Donna and I moved and I got a job operating a nuclear power plant supplying electricity to south Georgia and north Florida. I still do that. We have 3 children, 2 of whom are on their own now. I also took some distance learning. I earned a Master of Ministry degree, and serve in my church as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. A few of the other things I've been involved in -- well, a different thought comes to me. Have you ever sat down to write your own bio? Since you're on this web site, you've probably thought about it. But when I try to condense my life and experiences, I find that it's difficult. I don't want to tell you about my fallen ventures, my failed relationships, or my foolish choices. I want to put a spin on what I say, so that I will be viewed in a positive light. Even if I were to tell you of something that went bad, I'd try to do it in such a way that I would at least elicit sympathy from you. The fact of the matter is, none of us want to admit to a moral shortcoming or mental lapse. What this demonstrates is how far from perfection we are. Someday, though, I will stand before a judge whom I cannot fool. What will I do then? What will I do when before someone who knows not only every detail of what happened, but who also knows the motivations hidden in the deepest recesses of my mind? Someone who can tell me things which I have hidden even from myself? What shall I do when I have no defense, and when every wrong that I have done is brought out? If I can't admit things to you - my friends - then when I stand before the ultimate authority whom I have offended to the point of being His enemy, I won't be able to stand. I'll be flat on my face, cowering and hiding from the wrath to come. Is that what awaits me? If we believe that there truly is a God who created the universe and all that is in it, then it is reasonable to assume that He would leave us some knowledge of Himself. It is rational to believe that He would provide us some way to know who He is, what He is like, and what we can do to please Him. And He has provided us with that - it's the Bible. So what does He say about Himself? He is good, righteous, and holy. He does not change. He punishes the wicked and does not allow the unrighteous into His presence. He knows not just my words, but He even knows my thoughts. (Ps 100:5, 106:1, 71:15, 111:3, 99:9, Mal 3:6, Rev 20:11-15, Hab'k 1:13, Ps 139:1-4) Hoo boy, am I in trouble. He's everything I am not. That's one reason Paul told the Colossians that we're enemies of God. I think back to our time together at JTH, and I recall the times I saw you struggling, and rather than help I laughed. I whispered behind your back, spread lies about you, purposely hurt you... And each time, my sin was not just against you, but also against the God whose image you were created in. Each action was an act of pride, with me saying that I was better, and you were unworthy of decency - yet God commands that we not play favorites and not think highly of ourselves, since we are all sinful and wicked before Him. (Col 1:21, Jms 2:1-9, Phil'p 2:3-4, Rom...Expand for more