Margaret Thatcher, England's first woman...
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Margaret Thatcher, England's first woman prime minister, in her autobiography, The Path to Power, writes that the preaching she heard in her childhood and youth made her firm in her religious and political convictions. Both her father and mother were fervent Methodists. Although her father managed a grocery store in Grantham, Lincolnshire, he was much in demand as a lay preacher. According to Margaret, he was a powerful preacher with deep convictions. Likewise, other preachers she heard who preached the gospel were not afraid to challenge the social ills of their day whether they be alcoholism, irresponsible personal living, or war mongering. When World War II broke out, the sermons became even more pointed. She recalls one sermon in particular whose message stayed with her through the years. The theme of this sermon "showed how it was those who were born in the depths of one crisis who would be able to cope with the next. This was proof of God's benevolent providence and a foundation for optimism about the future, however dark things looked now." Each of these preachers who inspired Margaret Thatcher stood in the long line of fearless ambassadors of God, like John the Baptist, who unflinchingly spoke the truth. -- Hasler
