Turning a corner

There are probably millions of blogs showing up today about our new president-elect, Barack Obama. Unlike those others, this isn't intended to attack his policies or even him as a person. Rather, I want to lift him up.

Reaction by Christians has been strong on either side for Obama. Many have, unfortunately, doomed America to destruction by his election and others have even "threatened" to leave the country altogether. Prior to the election there was the slew of emails labeling him as the antichrist or even as a closet Muslim. Obama has claimed to be a follower of Christ and until I see otherwise, I will take him at his word. And none of us knows who the antichrist will be so to label him as such is a stretch.

Look, I did not vote for Barack Obama. My concerns were many: His inexperience, his desire to provide many programs that I believe will inevitably raise my taxes (and then some after the Bush tax cuts aren't renewed in 2010), his stance on extending abortion rights to cover partial birth abortion among others, and the fact that I know really very little about him in spite of the efforts of many to dig into his past. That being said, Barack Obama is my next president and I will support him as such and will pray for him (not against him) as I have with our other presidents.

If you are a follower of Christ, do you remember when George W. Bush was elected for his two terms? Do you remember how many Christians rejoiced because we saw him as one who would lead our nation back to God? Are you disappointed that it didn't happen? I want a believer in office but I also know that America if far too complex and diverse to be considered a Christian nation. America is not a theocracy. But as believers we are the body of Christ and that is greater than any nation on earth regardless of its leader.

Jesus told us to love our neighbors, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and provide for the poor. If we are waiting on our government to do all of these things then we will wait for eternity. That is our job as believers to initiate, not the government's. Regardless of what Barack Obama does in office, I am still going to strive to reach the lost with the gospel of Christ and to provide as best I can for the least of those among us.

Politicians are too busy fighting and bickering and filibustering to actually achieve what Jesus asked His followers to do. So yes, we turn a corner politically in America but that doesn't change the mandate that believers have. The Great Commission still compels us to go and teach all nations and the love of Christ still urges us to love others with compassion. No election can change God's truth.

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