Sobriety (mercifully) reigns after the election

It's the day after the election and the words of conciliation and the healing of rifts are coming through in a way they haven't for any election since Clinton. I'm in a mood to join in today though I wouldn't have expected it. David Horowitz said it nicely, I thought, but I've seen many similar statements out there in cyberspace.

As I note in a postscript to the previous post, the importance of race to American blacks in this election finally hit me only after it was all over. For some reason it just didn't figure in my thinking in any important way until now, or until I saw the euphoric crowds last night, and now I'm seeing how overwhelmingly it was THE issue for them, and in fact it is the exclusive focus of most of the discussion today.

I may think it wrong because it means they judged so exclusively by race and not by character or background or ideology, which were the issues for me, but I'm now in the strange position of thinking that even if he cheated his way into office it's time to back off and let them have their triumph, so long in coming. They don't believe he cheated, let them believe in him.

There is no doubt that he is God's will for the nation at this time, whether for good or ill, and of course I believe ultimately it will be shown to be ill because we are so surely under judgment (which would have been true as well if McCain had won), but today it's time to give him the opportunity to live up to his promises and prove his critics wrong, and not make an issue of the likely deceptions that got him there.

It's not as if the time will never come again for making an issue of it. We can hope it won't come again, though it probably will, but that time is not now.

And what I'd like to do now is try to forget about politics for a while myself if that's possible.

And a biblical reminder from an email I got:

The Christian's Duty
1 Timothy 2:1 ¶ First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Romans 13:7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

The Christian's Hope
Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea…

10-11 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Obama the sword of the Lord

God took this nation one step farther down the road of His judgment against us last night. Obama's claim to the Presidency is probably illegitimate on a number of points, but that doesn't change the fact that he's God's choice for us at this time. Much effort has been put into exposing his illegitimacy and his danger to the nation, but it has for the most part been prevented from gaining a wide hearing. We can blame the biased media for that, and in some cases biased judges and elected officials, but the overarching reason can only be that it is God's will.

It is simply the latest bit of truth about growing corruption and dangers to the nation to be aggressively suppressed over the last decade or so, as anyone who has tried to warn about these things can attest. Despite the best efforts of committed workers over and over we've seen the forces of darkness prevail against us. How is it that Islam has actually grown in popularity and influence since 9/11 for instance? Such a thing is inexplicable except on the understanding that it is God's will that the nation be punished. Obama must be His chosen instrument for that purpose.

In his blog this morning, Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler exhorts Christians not to challenge Obama's legitimacy, but treat him with the respect due the Presidency and seek to work with him where possible. A contrary view is that Obama's illegitimacy, especially the fact that he's a Muslim but has misrepresented himself as a Christian, is part of the sword of judgment that we are exhorted in scripture to warn people about. Scott Johnson thinks this is the obligation of Christian leaders, and takes it as the impetus for his own ministry of information.

Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

Of course that doesn't mean treating Obama with disrespect. Paul always addressed the Roman officials with respect; nothing less is expected of us now. But does that mean keeping silent about lies and plots where we know of them? Is that what God wanted of Christians when Hitler came to power?

I'm praying for a clearer understanding of these things.

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Later.
The joy black Americans felt on Obama's win has to be acknowledged. Since I never saw a racial issue in his candidacy I am likely to underestimate how much it mattered to blacks, but the exuberance and tears among the crowd last night shouldn't go unappreciated. Clearly it was a tremendous milestone in American history from that point of view. This is one reason not to continue to question his legitimacy, at least in a legal official way. God gave him the win and it will be on his own conscience if it was not honest.