President Barack Obama |
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Tonight as a nation we elected Barack Obama to the highest office in our country. I am grateful for the opportunity our country has been given at this time. An opportunity to practice a new kind of politics that is about finding common ground and working towards a more just society rather than the politics of polarization whose goal is simply to win no matter the cost. I am grateful for the opportunity we have to become good stewards of God’s creation. I am grateful for the opportunity our country has to cooperate with and work alongside other nations for peace. I am grateful for the opportunity we may have to ensure that no citizen is denied health care or is denied coverage. I am grateful for the opportunity we have to turn the page on trickle-down economics that do not honor the “least of these” among us. I am grateful for much tonight.
But while I am grateful for the unique opportunities I think Barack Obama presents in this time, I am not breathing a sigh of relief, as if somehow President Obama would steer history towards the Kingdom of God, as if the fate of the world lies in the hands of people as unimportant as Presidents and Senators.
No. I firmly believe that the fate of the world lies in the hands of a poor Jewish carpenter born to a teenage mother in the Middle East. A carpenter who followed God - not to a position of power and honor - but to his own unjust execution by people who held power and honor. I believe in a God whose Kingdom is like a mustard seed, a small annoying virus that works from the grassroots until it takes over. And this is why I am grateful for tonight, but I am not overjoyed, I am not elated, I do not think “THIS is the moment we’ve been waiting for.” Nor do I despair, like some of my Christian brothers and sisters who opposed Obama. I do not despair, as if the fate of the world rests on Barack’s shoulders, as if God’s hands are tied by people as unimportant as Presidents.
I, like many of my Christian brothers and sisters, do not agree with President Obama’s stance on abortion. But I am praying that despite our opinions on the matter that we will be able to work with him towards a more just society where abortions are fewer and fewer. That is common ground I believe I share with Barack. We should not demonize him for the next four years, and waste an opportunity to work with him towards a common goal, just so we can elect a “pro-life” candidate in 2012. By all means vote for a pro-life candidate in 2012. But right now Barack is the President, so let’s make our voices heard, not waste time tearing down a fellow believer. Let’s pray that Barack is a good and decent and wise leader, no matter how you feel about his politics. I’ve been praying for George W. Bush these past eight years, though most of those years I was very opposed to his policies. I hope you will join me in praying for Barack Obama no matter how you feel about his politics.
In some ways I am sad for Barack. I think that he geniunely wants the best for this country and for the world. But I also believe that few positions in this world corrupt a human being like that of the President of the United States. I think it’s an office that takes good people and chews them up and that few people have what it takes to escape with their integrity (especially as Christians). I hope that doesn’t happen to Barack… but I’m afraid that it will. I’ve often thought in the past that the kind of people who want to become President deserve what it does to them, but I don’t feel that way about Barack. So while I’m praying that God gives him wisdom and integrity I will also pray that the power he has does not corrupt him as it certianly would me. And I’ll also be praying that when Barack’s agenda and the agenda of Jesus collide (as it does in all our lives) that Jesus would prevail against Barack and against me… for the good of us both.
Well said Charlie.
i always appreciate your thoughts on politics, charlie. you write about some important distinctions between being christian and being american that i think we should all keep in mind.
yesterday was an exciting day for me. perhaps it is my interest in and love for african american literature that has kept me so glued to this election. i have to admit that i have gotten choked up more than once since obama’s speech last night, especially when considering the people who have witnessed, within their lifetimes, the change in black/white relationships in the united states.
a commentator was speaking last night on the role of the church in the civil rights movement. leaders like martin luther king, jr. have fought as political leaders AND as christians for equal rights and equal status for blacks in this country. in many ways, last night was an important moment in that journey. we would be remiss in failing to acknowledge it, i think, and, as you write, being grateful for it. our world, although still miles and miles away from the perfect and just kingdom of Christ, took a step toward justice yesterday. i cried with people who have–in the past, and sometimes still today– been considered second-class citizens or as even less than human. this is a victory we can celebrate with people who have endured much injustice in our nation’s history.
in Christ, we believe that all people are cherished and valued children of the Most High God. it is a worthy goal to work toward justice in our world, to pray that people understand and live this out this belief. so i was excited yesterday. i rejoiced with the black community, who in the very recent past has been deprived citizenship, suffrage, and basic human dignity. to be able to witness this moment in history, when a black man was elected to the highest office in the country, was a blessing for me.
no, our government is not where we put our hope. not by a long shot. but, culturally, something very (for a lack of a better word) cool happened last night. and i was excited.
Great post Chuck!!! Thanks!
Peace,
James
Katie, I totally agree. The step forward our country took last night in electing a black man is incredibly cool and should be celebrated. Hopefully very soon we can celebrate the first woman president.
well spoken Chuck!
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Hey man,
Very thoughtful post. I’ve been meaning to pick your brain on this, but since I haven’t yet, now seems like a good time. On what are you basing your statements about President-elect Obama’s Christian faith and his desire to reduce the number of abortions? I confess that I haven’t done my homework on what he has and has not said, but you are one of several of my friends who share this perspective on him.
Feel free to email me back man - I’d love to get a conversation going anyway.
Cole
Hey Cole,
Good questions. About Obama’s faith, first I take him at his word that he’s a Christian and then I can point you to several speeches he has given on faith that clearly come from someone who thinks deeply about faith and politics. But before I get to that I think I should bring up a troubling double standard that I see being applied to Democrats - if a Democrat says they are a Christian there is often a lot of skepticism and we in the church REALLY test them and doubt if they’re telling the truth. However if a Republican says they are a Christian we in the church simply accept that as true and often label them “devout” without ever hearing them speak on matters of faith. Case in point - Barack Obama vs. Sara Palin. Obama has spoken more on matters of faith than any politician in recent memory (W. included), yet rumors still persist that he might not be a Christian. Sara Palin has spoken little to none about her faith and was immediately dubbed a “devout Evangelical.” What is it about Republicans that makes us less skeptical and what is it about Democrats that makes us more skeptical? I think that reveals more about our own bias than it does about the candidates.
Now the best example of Obama speaking about his faith was his keynote address at Sojourner’s “Call to Renewal.”
He spoke about his commitment to reduce the number of abortions at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and others have written about it. Looking back this was Clinton’s position as well - that Abortions be legal, safe and rare. And while I still don’t think they should be legal I have to admit that under Clinton abortion rates dropped and under Reagan, Bush & Bush abortion rates rose.
While I would love to see abortion stop completely in the United States I think this is where Christians need to work in spite of the government’s policies rather than put all our eggs into this one political issue. The danger of Christians putting all their weight behind a president who will appoint “anti-abortion” judges is that we never care about what other views come along with those anti-abortion views. The supreme court does a lot more than talk about abortion and I’m afraid that Republicans sneak in some really sinister judges under the guise of being anti-abortion.
What are their views on private property, presidential authority, torture, war, workers rights, corporations, etc.?
When over 60% of Americans are pro-choice in some way or another I think the work set out before us is not to get the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade (and return it to a state’s rights issue) but to help our entire culture embrace life from the cradle to the grave.