I woke up this morning in a world that had changed
overnight. But, that was going to be the
case anyway regardless of who won or lost in the election. My wife and I went to bed hoping for a
political miracle, but expecting nothing of the sort. We were restless, but able to fall asleep
because at the end of the day our ultimate hope, trust and faith is in only
One: The True Living God. And, as was
the case when we went to bed, He and only He was still, always has been always
will be, on the Throne.
It was nice to have a Christian President over the last 8
years who shared my values, whom I believe wholeheartedly means it every-time he
says, “God Bless You and God Bless America”.
Despite his unpopularity on issues related to the war and the economy, I
believe that President George W. Bush and his family restored honor to the
highest office in our land and to the White House. He might not have been a perfect President,
but he was trustworthy and moral and like Ronald Reagan, the President of my
youth, he kept America safe.
I confess that this morning I do not feel as hopeful as I
have when it comes to the leadership of this country and the pending
administration. I do not trust in the
promises that I have heard or the heart behind the promises. I am skeptical,
fighting against worry and planning for the worst economically and
socially. I am angry that the American
people chose a President who does not seem to understand that life begins at
conception and doesn’t seem to want to understand it because it’s above his
pay-grade. I am ashamed that the majority
voted economy and race over human life.
But, it’s done and I am praying that God will use my anger for His purposes
and to bring about real change.
Despite my anger, disappointment, worry and uncertainty
about the future, I am resolute in my belief that God is God and that I am
not. I am galvanized in my determination
to pray for the very best for President Elect Barack Obama, our other elected
officials and all of their families. My
wife and kids and I started a new ritual this morning, praying for all of the
above and especially for the hearts of the Obama family to be submitted and
surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
NOTHING will change the fate of the unborn or the immoral policy
positions except a man submitted and surrendered to Christ. It may seem an impossible feat, but I know real change is possible.
As I watched the election coverage last night, into the wee
hours and again this morning I began thinking beyond the surface of what was
happening. Take for instance the two
conservative Congressional incumbents in my area that I have supported and had
the opportunity to vote for once or twice respectively; both lost to their
rookie opponents. The margins were
narrow, but I believe those conservatives, along with others elsewhere, were
voted out because they were connected to scandal and disappointment. One of
them was connected to the Jack Abramhoff lobbyist scandal and the other a man
who, as the attack ads pointed out, went to Washington to change Washington and
Washington ended up changing him. When
this particular leader was elected he was a married family man and today he
isn’t. There’s no judgment in that
statement, but the facts are the facts and people are tired of hypocrisy.
Interestingly, our country voted overwhelmingly for a
liberal Democratic president and for some liberal congressional leaders—ousting
conservative Republicans in the process.
But, in three key states, one of which is arguably one of the most, if
not the most, liberal in our nation, the people voted in favor of keeping
marriage the union between one man and one woman. That, to me, further underscores my belief
that we aren’t a liberal nation moving quickly towards liberalism more than we
are one trying to do the right thing. I
think there is some misguidedness in there, but the fundamentals of the
American hearts are good.
Related to the wins for marriage as we know it, though, must
come the realization that 18,000 marriage licenses are this morning deemed
invalid in the state of California. Translated: 36,000 hearts that have to be absolutely broken. And, while I am thrilled with the vote in
support of keeping marriage the way God intends it, I am truly heavy in
heart for the men and women who saw same-sex marriage as an answer to their
struggle for acceptance. I
do not take any joy in seeing people’s dreams or hearts crushed even if I
disagree with them. I pray this
morning that the proponents of Arizona’s Prop 102, California’s Prop 8 and
Florida’s Amendment 2 celebrate with these broken hearts in mind and with a
desire to comfort those who need comfort in the wake of what has to be bitter
disappointment. Truly this is
what Jesus would do!
Finally, and again, I am choosing to see the outcome of this
election in a non-hopeless light and with the absolute belief that America is,
though possibly hanging by a thread, still a nation guided by Christian values
and moral goodness. The silver lining in
all of this is that we elected a black president---skip our differences in
beliefs and policy for a moment and think about that with me. Once one of the most prejudice countries on
earth, guilty of horrific crimes against black people, we are now a nation with
a black president elect.
I watched two months ago when Michelle Obama spoke at the
Democratic National Convention and my heart lept thinking of her as a young
black school girl who probably never dreamed she would be the wife of a
presidential hopeful let alone the First Lady of the United States of
America. I watched that same week as
Barack Obama accepted his parties nomination for President and was truly
thrilled to watch as our nation was ushered into a new day beyond the evil legacy
of racism that overshadowed us. Then, I
watched last night as the Obama family waved to their supporters and hugged one
another—as Michelle Obama said to her newly elected husband, “I Love You.” Politics aside, those are moments that melted
my heart and the moments I am choosing to hold onto today as I pray that God
changes their hearts on issues related
to the moral values of this nation.
Maybe in God’s grand plan for this great nation, regardless
of the politics of it all, He destined the election of this man. After all, it does say in the middle portion
of Daniel 2:21: He removes kings and establishes kings. What if
this black President is God’s line drawn in the sand that says definitively
once and for all, “A Godly nation cannot be a racist nation.”? What if President Barack Obama is just a step
towards an nation repenting for it’s past sins?
I’m not God, but I have to believe He has a purpose in allowing this leader
to be elected and I am going to trust Him in it and pray that Barack Obama is
the most successful President we have ever known.
What’s the alternative?
