Senator Bill Cassidy on Psalm 51:8 – “The Beauty and Use of a ‘Funnel Verse’”

Mark’s good friend, Senator Bill Cassidy - one of the most bipartisan members of the Senate - joins him on the podcast today. In addition to being the Senator for Louisiana, Bill’s vast number of other achievements include co-founding the Greater Baton Rouge Community Clinic, a clinic providing free dental and health care to the working uninsured, creating a private-public partnership to vaccinate 36,000 greater Baton Rouge area children against Hepatitis B at no cost to the schools or parents, and, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, leading a group of health care volunteers to convert an abandoned K-Mart building into an emergency health care facility, providing basic health care to hurricane evacuees. Mark has seen first hand Bill’s devotion to bringing health care to the most vulnerable through his work with Mark’s African Mission Healthcare. The passage Bill has chosen to discuss with Mark is taken from Psalms 51.

Bill begins the discussion by summarizing the passage, and sharing his reasons for selecting it. He then explains his concept of a ‘funnel verse’, and why he considers this passage one, before exploring the notion of doing justice actively and the attitude each person brings to such action. Bill also offers details about the Bible Studies with other politicians in which he takes part, and shares examples of members from differing parties finding common ground and working together. He and Mark also review God’s love for the broken, and Bill’s concept of God ‘going through the furniture’ of his life is discussed. The podcast finishes, as always, with our guest sharing the lessons he has learned about mankind, and expands to reveal how Bill brings his medical expertise to Congress. Throughout their conversation, you will uncover precisely why Mark feels that the nation’s Founders were hoping for Bill Cassidy, a man who funnels all aspects of his life through this most meaningful of passages in order to allow God to teach and guide him each day.

Episode Highlights:

• Bill’s summary of the passage and why it’s meaningful to him
• His concept of a ‘funnel verse’
• How do we do justice actively?
• The attitude you bring to action
• Bill’s Bible study groups with other politicians of both parties
• Examples of members of differing parties working together on common ground
• God’s love for the broken
• God ‘going through the furniture of my life’
• The lessons about mankind which Bill has learned
• How Bill brings his medical expertise to Congress

Quotes:

“We kind of totally ignore the practical teaching of what we read.”

“Everything else I’m reading which I wish to guide my life, funnels through it.”

“We really need God to teach within us that which we should be doing.”

“Am I actually living this? It’s a challenge.”

“You are not righteous unless you do justice.”

“You can fool lots of people, you can even fool yourself, but you can’t fool God.”

“Believe me, in politics, you need a funnel verse.”

“Actions matter, but so does character.”

“If there’s a funnel verse, there are funnel relationships.”

“In my own mind, my own understanding, there should almost be a restlessness.”

“Do the simple thing for the person who is before you.”

Psalms 51:8 Indeed You desire truth about that which is hidden; teach me wisdom about secret things. https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.51?lang=bi

Links:

The Rabbi’s Husband homepage: http://therabbishusband.com/

Mark’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/markgerson?lang=en

For More Information About African Mission Healthcare and to Donate visit: https://africanmissionhealthcare.org/donation/gerson-ubs-matching/