Speaking of Obama...WOOO!!!!! Yep he did it...I cast my ballot, I played my part. Yay! I'm not really writing now to celebrate his victory, however. I'm actually going to share something with you. This is a note I posted on Facebook the other day. I wrote it mainly in response to some disparraging comments and Facebook statuses I saw immediately following the election. I apparently got an overwhelming response to it (phrases like "spot on," "intelligent," and "the most elloquently written tapestry I've read" were thrown around) so I guess I hit some truth behind it.
I had sorta hoped the issue at hand had maybe been laid to rest (when in actually I guess I've just been too busy to turn on the TV in 3 weeks, so I just have been distractd from it) so I wasn't going to comment further. But that was until I saw this in the paper today. Then I knew, I had to share it further!!
So...for those of you who do not have the benefit of being my facebook friend...enjoy!
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This note started as a response to a message a friend sent me. It seems there's been a lot of buzz on Facebook following the historical and monumental election on Tuesday. Many people, particularly Christians, are calling for the end of the world or something now that Barack Obama has been named our President-elect. I'm not sure if it's because he's a Democrat, because he's black, because his middle name is Hussein, or if there's something else out there, but it appears some people are upset. (I'm going to choose to believe that none of my friends are actually ignorant enough to still believe he's Muslim).
After writing the response, I considered sending it to another friend who had a status something implying that the world will end now. Buuuutttt....again, it was a bit too long and he was not the only one with such a message, so I thought I'd put it out there for everyone...here goes:
Wow....just...wow! I'm fine with people supporting candidates different than my own. I know everyone voting had different priorities and considered issues differently. But saying the election of Obama is the call of the apocalypse?
Let's look at the two options put before us as believers:John McCain, a man who committed adultery many times while married to his first wife (after she'd been disfigured in a car accident) and even met and began dating his second wife while still married to his first; who's current wife has amassed her own personal wealth from the beer distributing company her father founded, and who until the recent campaign, remained ambiguous and dodgy about his faith at all. A man who claims to be a faithful Baptist, but even his own staff continues to errantly put in his bios that he's Episcopalian (without his correction) and who was recently quoted in an article as saying "he is not "born again" and has not been baptized. He says he is "just a Christian," who for many years has been attending the North Phoenix Baptist Church in Arizona with his family."
Barack Obama, a man who is committed to his (one) wife and children, who regularly attends a church that believes only in God and in salvation through His only son Jesus (yes, the church focuses on African Americans and openly serves that body as a congregation- perhaps even to an extreme sense to many...but that does in no way take away their love for Jesus or Biblical foundations, it simply gives them a focus of people to minister to), and who has never shied away from or hid his commitment to God and His Word even as his own Pastor came under great national scrutinty.
How would John McCain be a better President for Christians? Because he's Republican? Because he claims to attend a Southern Baptist church?
Perhaps many Christians are hanging their hat on the fact that McCain vows to overturn Row v. Wade (something that numerous much more religiously convicted presidents have either not acted on or acted on unsuccessfully) while Barack Obama will affirm a woman's right to choose how her personal beliefs should lead her with her own body. To that I have only one real thing to say...do I think abortion is right? NO. Do I hope and pray that every woman would choose the life of her child over any other option? YES. But those are my standards as a believer. They come from the Bible and are applicable to all those who subscribe to the tenets of Christianity. Unfortunately, all of America does not subscribe to those tenets. So instead of continuing to try to force Christian beliefs and morals on non-Christians, trying to make them live holy lives, without the benefit of the saving grace of Jesus and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, perhaps we should focus our efforts more on the salvation of those who don't agree with us through the love of Jesus than the way they are living their lives without Jesus. I guarantee that if we as Christians put more effort into the salvation of nonbelievers than issues such as abortion will almost never come about because saved people will desire to live holy. In the meantime, "Sinners sin, that's what they do" so its futile to try to make them stop sinning without first helping them to stop being a sinner.
On that note...I don't understand how John McCain was a vote for Jesus and Barack Obama was a vote for the apocalypse or evil or for not Jesus (Ed. Note-in light of the above referenced article, I should also add to that list that a vote for Obama seems to get you kicked out of heaven some how). Since when does love and tolerance and respect for others equal evil and depravity? I'm pretty sure Jesus ministered to everyone.
I should add that the message I was initially responding to was from a "strong Republican friend" who sent me a message of outrage over the disparaging status and comments on a mutual friend's page. She noticed his (and others') outrageous comments and I took the liberty of responding for her. The comments I've seen/heard did not just come from that one person's page, or I would have simply responded directly to him, but are ones I've heard echoed more times than I'm comfortable with, so I decided to make a public statement.
Also, I should finish my note by saying that the appropriate response for any believer at the election of a new President is to surround him with constant prayer...all the more so if the person is someone with whom you do not agree for whatever reason. Instead of bashing any leaders or elected officials or "writing off" America, the Bible reminds us to pray for all of our leaders. Pray that they are surrounded with wisdom and Godly counsel, that they lead with integrity and righteous action, and that they have the grace and strength to complete the arduous task before them. You don't have to like him, but you do have to pray for him. I guarantee you that many many Christians everywhere have just spent 8 years praying for a leader with whom they frequently disagreed.
It really doesn't matter at this point who you supported in this election - after January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama will be your next President. That's not changing...this was in no way a close race, but instead was a mandate from the American people leaving nothing to question. With that said, you have two options: hate your country, the people leading it, and the people in it and sit around waiting for the dark horsemen of the apocalypse or you can cover our great land in prayer, asking God to preserve our country and the earth we live in so that all may come to know Him. I'll let you decide which option is the more Christian one to choose. If you truly believe that Barack Obama is a sign of the apocalypse then it is your job as a Christian to be the salt of the earth for its preservation.
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Alright...there it is. Comment away! :) Good, bad...agree, disagree...whatever...just add your thoughts.
