Maybe you are like me and the election didn’t go the way you hoped, so you are wearing black this week and writing a new pledge of allegiance:
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the divided states of America
and to the republic that I don’t understand
one Obamanation
under God’s judgment
with licentiousness and lack of judgment by all
Yeah, I know, a little over the top. I was watching the election coverage until I went to bed, and I thought of this pledge parody as I was falling asleep. I thought, “Should I get up and write this down? … Nah! I don’t care if I remember it or not.” Nonetheless, I remembered it in the morning and posted it on my FaceBook account. Isn’t that thrilling.
Maybe you are not like me at all, and instead you are riding on a wave of optimism and hope that springs from Barack Obama bringing a fresh start to our nation. You are hoping for change to believe in! Maybe you are one of America’s 51% who cast a very happy vote for this (previously) unknown senator from Illinois. If you are, then you are probably very hopeful for the kind of change that he will inspire in our great country. (and you probably didn’t make it reading further than my pledge.)
I can’t imagine the mess we would have woken up to on Wednesday if McCain had won. People would have been violently angry, and I think the morale of the nation would have been at a new all time low. I think there would have been massive public despair and disillusionment.
On the other hand, there seems to be a bounce in the step of many people right now, people are feeling hopeful and optimistic. Happiness and joy are contagious, and whether we want to admit it or not, many of us who are disappointed in the outcome of the election are feeling the ripple of euphoria from the “other side.” Things actually seem pretty bright.
This doesn’t mean that my grave concerns have gone away. The grave concerns are front and center, but the problem is that McCain didn’t really answer those concerns much better than Obama.
Some Concerns:
1. I am troubled that Obama is so rabidly pro-abortion, but McCain is not much more of a defender of the unborn when it comes right down to it. Both of them support funding Planned Parenthood. ‘Nuff said.
2. I am troubled that Obama wants to raise taxes on the people who already pay the most taxes, and “spread the wealth around.” The government does not need to be in the business of playing Robin Hood. On the other hand, McCain had the crazy idea to buy the bad mortgages and he supported the financial bailout package, and that’s not much better. I would love to have a president who understands economics better than I do, someone who knows what a budget is, and knows how to stay within it. We were not going to get that either way the election went.
3. I am troubled that Obama is perceived to be a pacifist. I don’t want the Commander and Chief of the United States Military to be perceived as a pacifist. I want him to be perceived as a crazy mean dog that you better not mess with, or he will bite your face off. I sleep better at night with a well trained pitbull in the yard than a cute little Yorkie. On this issue, McCain wins hands down.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE:
But, there are many good things about Obama winning the election. The optimistic sense of hope is actually a beautiful thing, and not something that I have seen much of in my lifetime. It feels like our black brothers and sisters are standing a little taller, and I hope that translates into a better sense of citizenship and responsibility. Whether we want to admit it or not, this is a global culture, and the world is excited to see Obama win the election. This could translate into a more favorable world opinion, and that would be helpful in many ways. We need to be thankful for the good things, and accept the leader that God has given us. We must learn how to honor Obama and we must pray for him to be a good and wise leader.
Please join me in this prayer today.
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray:
LORD, have mercy on us and grant us peace, fill us with Your loving-kindness and thankfulness for the salvation of our souls and our lives. We ask for the peace in this world, for healing in our nation and for the unity of all peoples.
For our President-Elect, Barack Obama, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, we pray to the LORD. We humbly ask that You would give them wisdom and direction. We ask that you would turn their hearts toward the protection of the weak and the helpless. We ask that You would allow them to see the wisdom of Your will and Your Law, and that they would be given a heart to understand it. We ask that you would actively restrain the evil that they are allowed to do by Your mighty and powerful hand.
We thank You, Almighty God, for Your grace and abundant blessings to this nation. May we be good citizens and faithful stewards of all You have entrusted us with.
AMEN
November 6th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
AMEN!
November 7th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Regarding the euphoria… After school on the day of the election I heard several teachers outside my clinic door at work asking another teacher dressed in tan “why didn’t you wear black?” Come to find out, they had agreed to wear black to support Obama. I looked down and realized that I just happened to be wearing black shoes, black socks, black pants and a black and red scrub jacket. I then realized why so many teachers had been smiling at me that day! The school district where I work, Alief, is nearly 50% black, nearly 50 % hispanic, has a smattering of Asian students and a rare white child. Euphoria and Obama shirts have abounded this week. Far be it from me to stop anyone from smiling at me. May the Lord guide Obama’s administration and may it be humble and faithful.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I took this from your blog Frank. “It feels like our black brothers and sisters are standing a little taller, and I hope that translates into a better sense of citizenship and responsibility”. I appreciate you pointing this out. I am usually the type of person that can be “happy” seeing others “Be happy” (Most the time).
November 8th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Well said Frank. I have been feeling alot the same way. Obama worries me too, but as an American, I hope that I am wrong and that he will be able to cure what is ailing America. I will continue to pray for him to lead us in a way that makes the ALL Americans proud.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Frank said: “I would love to have a president who understands economics better than I do, someone who knows what a budget is, and knows how to stay within it”.
I personally did not care for either Obama or McCain. This economy is one of the biggest issues the US has faced in many decades and we nominate 2 candidtes that have very little economic or business experience if any. I was disappointed in both choices.
If you want to get money from the wealthy it is much faster and much more logical to lower or get rid of the capital gains tax than it is to raise taxes on the rich by 4% (as proposed by Obama). An additional 4% tax will not level any playing fields. It will not make the poor richer or the middle class any better off.
The object by the Obama administration is to get the rich to cut loose of their cash. So how can this happen. 2 choices: Try and tax them for it which will be passed back to you and me or cut capital gains and watch the money flow.
Ronald Reagan inherited a Jimmy Carter economy which left us in total shambles. 18% interest rates for home loans and gas lines that were very very long.
The capital gains rate was 70% under Carter. Reagan dropped it to 28% when he became President and we had some of the greatest economic growth in our history. Cut the capital gains rate to ZERO and watch this economy ROAR! In 1 year (Dave Ramsey says in 30 days we would already notice the difference)you would see the greatest turn around and growth in the economy in the history of the US and Obama would get 2 terms and go down in history as the greatest President ever as Reagan has done. Will the rich get richer ? Yes they will. Will the poor get richer…..Yes they will and the Govt. would collect almost twice as much as they collect now from growth in the economy rather than killing the economy with higher taxes on you and me. This was proven during Reagans terms and is not just a theory.
If you raise the tax on the rich by 4% they will in turn raise their prices on whatever it is they sell so they do not take the loss. This 4% tax increase will not be paid by the rich person it will be paid by you and I. Don’t let the Govt raising taxes on the rich fool you. The rich may send the check for taxes to the Govt. but it will be collected from you and I the consumers.
I know several business owners. All of them and I do mean all of them have 1 thing in common right now. They are all holding onto their money to wait and see what an Obama Presidency will bring. These owners are not upgrading equipment for their installers and office workers, no new hiring, raises or bonuses. The economy can’t grow or even maintain if people are holding instead of spending their money. I hope Obama will give business a reason to spend its money instead of hanging on to it.
Just saw that the unemployment rate is now 6.5% as of yesterday. New taxes will make this much worse. I hope the Obama administration will change it’s mind about raising taxes on anyone.
November 9th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I am more hopeful than many of my friends on what might happen in the Obama presidency. Then again, there are some worrying trends too as Frank points out. The number one issue today and for the foreseeable future will be the economy and the priorities of President Obama in the face of this crisis will reveal a lot. If, in the face of this economic crisis, the President moves to help pass a lttany of liberal policy standards then we need to be prepared for the worse.
But Frank is right - the number one things Christians are called to do is to pray for this man as he takes on a truly world shaping role.
November 26th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
i wish people would simply be the change, rather than just voting for it.