I'm not a fan of McCain. At all, really. Palin doesn't really bother me, but I don't think she's the messiah of the Republican party, as many people seem to think. And I'm not the biggest fan of Biden... he's sort of the epitome of the sleazy upper-crust politician (that smile reminds me of Joel Osteen, and that's just not helping his case) and I can't really figure out what he brings to the table.
I do like Obama. Really and truly. Aside from being "articulate" (fill in the blank: "... for a black man"), and aside from his fantastic speeches, I do believe in his policy perspectives. It's unbelievable to me how little many citizens could probably tell you about his actual policies (I suppose the "buy a t-shirt" button on his website is far more appealing than the pages upon pages of the real meat of his campaign). What I usually hear is "Obama is so inexperienced" or "Obama wants to tax us all like 75% of our income" or "Obama is going to take away our guns and encourage women to kill their babies" or "Do you really think a Muslim could run this country?" or, worse still, "Do you really think a black man could run this country?" Seriously, people. Make an educated decision. It's not hard to devote an evening to some real research, and to be able to substantiate your opinions. I'm as guilty as anyone of this, and I think it's because it IS so easy to just go along for the ride, buying into the images of the candidates and the policies rather than actually think about what will happen when the election is over.
Anyway. By the same token, I also think it's absurd how we've been guilty of putting Obama on this golden pedestal of peace on earth and goodwill toward men, as if he's the answer to our country's problems and will solve them all within the first two weeks of being in office. Yes, he's got some innovative ideas, and he's a grassroots "hopemonger" with a fresh face and powerful words. But really. He is not Jesus (as The Weekly Standard portrayed him satirically on their cover last week- probably rightfully so).
One of our biggest problems, in my humble opinion, is that we, as Christians, are just plumb lazy. We could be out changing the way the adoption system in this country works, adopting babies ourselves or at least fighting for lowering the ridiculous cost of doing so. We could be making it easier for a young single mom to earn enough money to pay her bills and afford daycare. We could be mentoring these girls. We could be spending more time with kids in high-risk areas, setting the example and giving them a reason to live for more. But we'd rather just cast a vote for a President who is "pro-life" and scream at people outside abortion clinics. If we don't want the babies to be aborted, shouldn't we find a place for them? Shouldn't we be more loving and forgiving toward those who have made mistakes? Shouldn't we take up the cause of battling poverty in this country, offering our children better education and eventually better jobs so that they have a WAY of breaking the cycle and choosing not to sleep around, get pregnant, and then just go to Planned Parenthood and "take care of it"?
But that doesn't let the more liberal Christians off the hook. Sure, we might be calling for an end to the insane inequality of Americans (an end to the system in which $5 million is considered "wealthy"). We might be championing the rights of children to a decent education, and the rights of women to equal pay for equal work, and the rights of all to our Constitutional liberties and the ever-elusive "American dream" (whatever that means anymore). But at the same time, are we really just going to sit back and wait for the government, and mainly one single guy at the head, to tackle these issues because we're too busy and too apathetic to do anything about them on our own time, with our own money?
I believe the motto goes "Yes We Can," not "Yes He Can."
Imagine if we spent as much time being the change we want to see in the world (as Gandhi famously called us to do) as we did getting into heated debates and staying glued to the television and to the newspapers, waiting to see what two guys say they're going to do.
But even more importantly, beyond us taking responsibility for the state of our nation, what if we had more faith that GOD is in ultimately in control, and that He has immeasurable power and sovereignty over not only the US, but the entire planet? Imagine the possibilities if we spent more time on our knees praying for those who need it and trusting that God hears our prayers, and that our prayers are weapons sharper and stronger than anything used in a battlefield.
Yes We Can.
Yes God Can.
We can because God lets us. We can because it's what He's called us to. We can because He's has given us talents and gifts to accomplish great things, seemingly impossible things, as part of His plan and His will.
Obama is not our Savior. McCain is not our Savior.
Jesus for President 2008.
Okay, so clearly this video is not really about God, but in many ways it reflects a widespread yearning to carry out His calling (whether or not the participants know it). And besides, I think will.i.am is fantastic.
1 comment:
Thank you Morgan! Love it!
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