Last night history was made. Last night Barack Obama became the first ever African-American President elect of the United States. My mind has been filled with thoughts as I have contemplated this. What follows is a meager attempt to be as biblical as I can be as I try to help myself and the WBC flock think this through from a Christian perspective.
PRAISES
Yes, there are praises to God for what happened last night.
1. John McCain's concession speech displayed wonderful grace. The way he handled defeat is a model all of us (especially believers!) need to observe and copy. His humble submission to American democracy AND to his new President was (although sad) very refreshing.
2. An African-American President. Though I strongly abhor most of what President-elect Barack Obama stands for and believes in, there is a sense in my soul that is grateful that America has reached a place where African Americans are treated like every other human. This is the way it should be. I was not opposed to Barack Obama due to the color of his skin. I was opposed to him due to his convictions (or lack thereof!) and non-biblical beliefs. Apart from that (and this is still in my opinion no reason to elect a man for President), however, I am thankful that America has come this far in the racial war.
3. God instituted what happened last night. Therefore, let us submit to His Lordship and rejoice.
This is the day that He has made. Yesterday was a day He made. Tomorrow is another day He will make. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. We may be sorrowful and fearful of things to come, but we are to be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
4. Jesus is Coming Soon! I know you are probably thinking at this point that I say this because of the anti-Christian stuff that is probably coming to America. Though this may be true, I must confess that is not what is prompting this praise. What prompts this praise is the way Chicago, much of North America, and alot of others around the world rejoiced when they heard the news of who was our next President. Jubilation was everywhere. Excitement streamed across the world, it seemed, as the news made its way to various places. If that is how it is when a mere man is elected as President, can you imagine how incredible it is going to be when Jesus descends from glory and returns to earth? Oh I cannot wait! What I observed last night was a tiny, inkling of a picture of what is to come when Jesus returns to take us home. Oh come Lord Jesus! My soul longs, yes even pants for You!
PRAYERS
I urge you to pray 1 Timothy 2:1-7 now more than ever. Just because the man you may not have wanted to be President isn't the new President-elect does not mean you stop praying. Now we need to pray this more than ever! My eyes were brought to tears this morning as my 3 year old son Luke and I were watching Obama's speech from last night on my computer. When I had his breakfast fixed we paused to say our blessing and I urged Luke to pray with me for the man he was watching with me on the screen. We did pray for him. May we continue now more than ever to pray for our President.
PURSUITS
As followers of Christ and as those who profess complete and total trust in the Lord, we must respond with biblical convictions and with a Christ-like, Christ-filled Spirit. We are to give to God what belongs to God and give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. We are to trust that what happened last night was an act of God and be subject to the governing authorities. We are to remember that those who resist governing authorities will incur judgment from God Himself.
Now, I must admit that I have a lot of thinking and wrestling and work to do regarding how to balance submission to governing authorities with being light and salt in a dark and bland world. I will need the help of God's Word and His Spirit to know how to discern when and how to do both when doing both seems to be at such odds in this case. It compels me to read through the New Testament with a new lens on my eyes, for Jesus and Paul and John and James and others lived during times of extreme persecution of those who believed on Jesus Christ. Yet, incomprehensibly, they taught submission to authorities. This will be a wrestling indeed and I encourage each of you to wrestle with the Lord and His Word and trust in His Spirit to help us in the days and months and years ahead. We must be biblical in all that we do and learn how genuine believers are to trust in the fact that God instituted this new President, submit to our governing authorities, and let our light shine before men all at the same time.
I encourage you to check out the following posts I have found in other places to help us begin to think biblically about how followers of Jesus are to respond in times such as these...
Thoughts from Eric Redmond (Second Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention and an African American)
*Please note that I have not, as yet, had time to read through all of these articles. However, I respect these men and trust that at the very least will help us begin to process and think biblically about what is ahead for America and especially Christians in America.
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