Obama Must Ride Out the Storm

I keep getting outlandish emails attacking Obama. I find it amazing that he continues to endure countless smear campaigns, rumors and out right lies about his faith, his wife, his past associations, his platform and his intentions. In spite of the intensifying hellish fury of his opponents, he is actually leading in the latest polls. Is that evidence of God's powerful and sustaining hand?

It is my Republican friends that send me this kind of stuff. I have never received anything besmirching the character of John McCain or his wife even though they are both potentially huge targets with some obvious vulnerabilities. It seems the more liberal folks are generally taking the higher ground and the conservatives continue in the Karl Rove approach that operates from a mentality of fear, lies and distortions. This is the Party that gains the support and endorsement of many of my Christian friends? I honestly don't get it. Is it because the Republicans lend empty lip service to being anti-abortion and anti-gay?

I know the Democrats are pounding McCain and Palin on their policies, voting records, experience or lack thereof, their shallow proposals and basic ideology. That's how it is supposed to be done in the political marketplace of ideas. Why must Bush, McCain and the Republican Party always resort to gutter politics? Is it because their record and philosophy of governing is finally being graded as an astounding failure and they feel there is no other option? Our nation is reeling from the current economic calamity, but I am thankful that it hit in the middle of September rather than the middle of November.

America long ago rejected the idea of a King ruling our land as our founding fathers invented a representative form of government. Our system makes every citizen, to some degree, responsible for the national approach to values and policy. That is where I think politics matter the most for common citizens like us. Our government should be submitted to the will of the majority of the people. Hopefully, the most noble Christian values are collectively asserted there. Because of our system, I believe God judges our nation collectively, not based on the performance of one man (a king), but on the values of the people that our elected officials represent. Let the goodness within our souls arise to light the way into the future and may Barack Obama carry that banner with honor and integrity.

The harvest of unbridled warmongering greed is being reaped. McCain supporters are telling the world that they are satisfied with the status quo in Washington and want four more years of what we have been doing as a nation. McCain and Palin, for all their talk of being mavericks and agents for change, if elected, cannot be effective as long as a majority Democratic Congress resides in Washington and that's what we have...like it or not.

Obama and Biden, working with a Democratic majority on the Hill, can possibly effect some new policies that will help regulate the economy, peacefully lift our stature internationally and place us on a new path that lifts up the poor, the sick and the immigrants among us. The Republicans have had complete control of the federal government for six of the last eight years and it is what it is. I say give the other guys a shot at it and see what happens.

I am not a passive fatalist even though I do believe that ultimately the world will crash and Jesus will return to bring His Kingdom rule. Republicans are fond of quoting Jesus when He said "the poor would always be with us". Many use this as an excuse to overlook those who suffer. However, He charged us to love our neighbors like we love ourselves and to treat the poor among us with mercy, generosity and tender kindness. In a representative form of government, we should strive for our national policies to reflect the heart of a merciful and loving God. Both parties are flawed, but I believe liberalism embodies more of the overall Kingdom of God than the other option.

I pray Obama will endure the storm.