So, for the first time in eight years I did not vote for the man who was elected as our President. While many of my fellow political ideologues have expressed frustrations ranging from apathetic to really extreme frankly, I’m just glad that it’s finally over.
Now, for the most part during the campaigns I refrained from comment on the various candidates. I maintain no delusions that I have anything approaching a major platform from which to voice my opinion. The “readers” of this blog are mostly friends and family and so I saw no compelling reason to instigate major debate with speculation on the performance of those not-yet-elected. Now that the people have spoken though, I have some observations that I felt strongly enough about to share.
In the spirit of full disclosure I must admit that my political leanings are fairly strongly towards the conservative/libertarian side of things, and that on almost every issue I find myself directly opposed to President-Elect Obama. These opinions are not the result of some die-hard dedication to the Republican agenda (if such a thing exists anymore), but instead are based on my individual beliefs tempered by my own observations and my understanding of the way things work. I think it’s imperative that everyone think for themselves and not allow anyone, right or left, to write or speak their views for them. This is one of the key reasons I publish this blog.
That said, this isn’t an anti-Obama post. This is simply my reaction to the actions of those around me and my observations of the challenges facing Obama and all Americans as we move into this new political era.
On Outrage
I noticed two primary emotions among my friends who supported Obama immediately following the election. The first was joy (understandable, if slightly annoying) and the second was outrage. The outrage perplexed me a little. After all Obama won, what was there to be outraged over? His margin? I was somewhat confused until I remembered how much white people love to be offended.
Apparently those on the right weren’t nice enough when Barack Obama’s victory was announced. I know, I’m spoiling all the fun. Now don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of nasty, racist and inappropriate things said around me in reaction to Obama’s victory. But you can’t honestly expect me to believe that Democrats are blameless in their behavior towards the McCain-Palin ticket? And let’s not get into the response to Bush’s first or second elections which saw grossly inappropriate sentiment expressed for 8 years.
I would advise Obama supporters thusly: Welcome to being the party in power. You should probably prepare yourselves for a lot nastier criticism than has been expressed in the past few days.
And while we’re on the topic of respect for the President-Elect, I would like to take a brief moment to address the use of the “pray for our leaders” talk that’s been going around the Christian circles. Often this is accompanied by the Romans 13:1-5 admonition that you respect those in authority over you. Before I continue let me be clear: Do I plan on obeying the law? Yes. Do I plan on praying for and supporting President-Elect Obama? Yes, I believe 1 Timorthy 2:1-4 speaks directly to the prayerful support of our leaders. However, I must admit that I find people who expressed what was at best sly disdain for our sitting President and at worst a call for outright rebellion (impeachment), who have now turned to the “God commands you to respect Obama” a bit rich.
On Hope
A good deal of the Obama campaign centered around Hope (or was it change? I can never keep it straight…) But hope for what? A better world? A perfect world? While I was greatly impressed by the passion that Obama ignites in his followers I would hope that he, and all people, would recognize that there is only true source of hope, Jesus Christ (Psalm 130:2, Psalm 146: 5, 2 Thessalonians 2:12).
I’ve been reading in Romans the past few weeks and I cam across the following which I think is of particular relevance here:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
Romans 8:18-27
The hope in this sense is not in the alleviation of our suffering through some political or sociological means. It is through “our present sufferings” that we are delivered into the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. If we possess the facilities to address or redress suffering in some capacity, then we should do so but only with the understanding that we cannot manifest God’s Kindgom of our own power, that duty is reserved for God Himself. To say: we cannot immanentize the eschaton. We read that, “hope that is seen is no hope at all” which is to say that we cannot hope in what we already have. If our hope is in Christ, then we cannot expect His promises to be fulfilled through any other means or our hope is not in Him. In other words, if Obama was capable of resolving all ailments then there would be no need for hope in God. Knowing this to be absurd in light of the previous passage is one thing, but the falseness of the claim seems less clear in the zealous words of our President-Elect.
Obama once made a claim that, “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” While I certainly understand the passion to encourage our own self-motivation to address the issues facing our country, I also think it important to stress that “we” are not the complete solution. If history has proven anything it’s that we as humans are utterly incapable of solving our own problems. Yes we may have averted disasters, or cured diseases, or won wars and defeated evil. But we still get sick, we still fight against evil and we still die. We will never achieve deliverance from the consequences and horrors of this life through our own effort, but through the power of Christ Jesus expressed in His sacrifice for us on the cross (Titus 2:13). Truly He is the one we’ve been waiting for.
To Conclude
I have written far more on this subject than I originally intended to so I will conclude with the eloquent words of a man with whom, on this subject, I completely agree:
I’m very proud to have supported Senator McCain and the only regret is that more Americans didn’t share my conviction that he would have made an outstanding President. I not only recognize, but respect that we are a nation in which the people choose and tonight they have chosen Senator Obama. He was not my choice, but he will be my President and I will pray for him to lead this great nation with God’s help and grace. He will face serious challenges to lead our country and he will need all Americans to give him a chance.
Governor Mike Huckabee, November 5, 2008
