Congratulations, Barack

November 5th, 2008 by Jaybrams

A while back I said I was done talking politics on this blog until after the election. It’s over, so I’ll say this and move on: Barack intrigued me in the primaries, but the more I read/followed the less I liked about either of our available candidates. I still leaned towards Democrat (regardless of leader), but it was ever so slightly and not enough for me to feel a strong conviction for the party. Thus, I DID NOT VOTE.

Thank goodness I base very little of my existence on who is leading this country. Barack, Biden, McCain, Palin, and the Balance of Power (which if you didn’t notice is now completely Democrat, which I’m not sure that’s a good thing either) does not affect the outpouring of who I am and what I do with what I’ve been given.

I strongly believe, as some of you can attest, man does not grant authority nor determine who is a leader. God grants us our leadership and qualifies us for His work regardless of our social status, economic standing, education level, degrees obtained, or your “I Voted” sticker. Usually I spout this off when church “leaders” try to exert misplaced power over people in ministry, but it applies to country as well.

A few weeks ago, Margaret Feinberg asked “Are you a November 4th or November 5th Christian?”

Are you more concerned with who wins on November 4 or how you can be a part of rebuilding and healing our nation on November 5 and the years to come? I’m all for voting, please don’t get me wrong, but it’s going to take all of us–together–to turn our nation around.

It’s simple to say, important to hold to, and difficult to live out. Don’t get me wrong, I think we should be responsible with our freedoms, including the freedom to (not) vote, but after months of one of the nastiest political scenes I can remember (I don’t remember too many of them (’88-present), i’m young okay), here we are… whichever side of the fence we land on, we must move forward and live our lives to the fullest of our ability for Christ.

If we as the Church become the hands and feet we are called to be, we wouldn’t have to concern ourselves so much with programs, “socialism,” and big governments. I’m the guiltiest of them all; I see things that I am moved to take action for and yet the action follows slowly or not at all. It’s time for me to stop talking and blogging about submitting to His service and actually doing so - beyond serving in church on the worship team (where everyone gets to see me), beyond dropping the check in the offering bucket, and beyond the encouraging words that I try to offer to friends and coworkers. Not in place of these things, they have merit and should by no means be abolished, but certainly in addition to.

So, lets move on together; become men, women, and children of action, not out of obligation, but from the outpouring of the Love that has been gifted to us.

Don’t let me make excuses.

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