Ancient Truth | Modern Sound

Well, here we are in the first days of president elect Barack Hussein Obama.  It is to America’s great credit that in less than a generation a race has come from the color bar to the White House.  Before anyone gets wrapped up in politics think of what this means and how it happens with order and purpose and under the rule of law.  As I said the other day to my children, living in the United States does not mean that you will never live under the rule of someone you do not like.  But, more importantly, living in the United States means that this transition will happen peacefully and it will not be permanent.  What a country.  We are richly blessed.

On a lighter note here’s a short article that makes an important point.  http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/dave-barry/story/756596.html  The political game in the USA is a blood sport but we now risk destroying (if we have not already destroyed) the basic political civility of our country.  Better think again about that.

Back to Obama.  A friend of mine says he doesn’t care what the world thinks of America, my friend is wrong.  America needs the world as much as the world needs America.  Unfortunately, today, it appears as if neither really acknowledges that fact.  The BBC does a good job or capturing the mood of many around the world in this story.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7711321.stm

For a more sober and balanced view of what president elect Obama means to the world take a read at this leading article in the Economist.  http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12562373  The world badly needs a successful US Presidency and is it not interesting the hopeful and expectant tone of an article written with the objective of toning down the “Great Expectations”.  It is the measure of the greatness of America that the world feels the need to look up to it.

Just to show that this does blog have a Christian purpose here is another very short little note about a religious reformation in Latin America.  You know the evangelicals are on the move when they make it into the deist pages of the newspaper first published in 1843 to contest against “timid ignorance obstructing our progress”.  http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12564066

And, finally, today we remember those fallen in battle.  My grandfather fought through the 2nd world war from the disaster of Dieppe to the triumph of Berlin.  He campaigned in Africa, Italy, and Europe and came home never to be the same.  He was a stranger to his own children and I remember him growing old as an alcoholic.  Like so many, in ways that we cant understand, he left his life on a battlefield too.  So, on remembrance day, to the memory of Regimental Sargeant Major Douglas Meikle of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, holder of the Military Medal for valour and The Distinguished Service Cross for bravery.  To bear your name is an honor.