The Road Goes Ever On and On

Conservative Response to Obama

On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis, representing the most powerful nation on earth, surrendered to General George Washington, who represented the scrappy, rebellious colonialists.  A few days later, Washington invited Cornwallis to a lavish dinner where he wined and dined him, his enemy only a few days prior.

If I could say one thing to my fellow conservatives, drop the radicalism.  Washington knew how to anticipate and prepare for the future.  Great Britain has become our greatest ally among the free countries of the world.  I hope that conservative Republicans can move forward with the same realism.  Maybe our party and your candidate didn't win.  Maybe we will cringe at some of the liberal-leaning decisions that will be made.  But if this is our country, we work with fellow Americans we may not agree with.

The day after the election, I remember hearing Rush Limbaugh give a tirade, which was his response to Obama's victory speech.  Obama had asked for the support of those who had voted for McCain (which I did), saying he wanted to be our president too.  Like it or not, he is my president and I will support him.  However, Limbaugh's response was to the effect that I didn't vote for him and he is not my president.

This morning I saw some posts on a conservative blogger site entitled, "7 Things us Conservatives can do on Obamamania Day."  You can read the entire thread here, which includes trimming nose hair, organizing your sock drawer, etc.  Does this seem something like being a sore loser to any other fellow conservatives?  It also smacks of short-sightedness.  If and when conservatives again gain power, I hope they have the forethought to realize, like it or not, they will have to work with liberal representatives in the government.  Don't burn your bridges, build the future of this country, and please don't make the practical realists of the conservative movement cringe.  And if you're really feeling generous, maybe you can rejoice in the inclusiveness represented by Obama's inauguration.

Do I Really Want to be a Pastor?

Poor Rick Warren.  I've read so much controversy surrounding him, you'd think he was a serial killer.  First off, he gets it from the news media because he supported Proposition 8 in California which banned gay marriage.  Not only that, but Richard Cohen in the Washington Post lamented Obama's lack of moral leadership by picking Warren to give the invocation at his inaugural!  Let me get this straight.  The preacher standing for morality is immoral, while those who promote immorality are moral.  Sure sounds like Isaiah 5:20.

Then yesterday I received an unsolicited magazine from a "Christian" organization.  There was an article that really blasted Rick Warren for not being conservative enough.  They targeted his style of building bridges to the culture as wrong; he should just "preach for sinners to repent."   So why did Jesus get crowds of tax collectors and prostitutes following him around?  Maybe because he reached out to them, i.e., built bridges?

Dang!  What is a minister to do nowadays?  It seems to me you'd better have titanium skin, and it better be especially think on your back.  The moment a minister becomes successful, he becomes a target, not just from the rest of the world but from within his own movement as well. 

I'm disturbed by the vitriol against Rick Warren from the news media (check out this example).  Is it a sign that our days of freedom are numbered as conservative Christians?  Will speaking about the dark side of homosexuality be labeled hate speech?  But what bothers me even more are the attacks by preachers against other ministers who are successfully reaching the culture. I feel so saddened and ashamed of the church when I read them; we look so bad.  But my hope is that as messed up as the body of Christ tends to be, somehow we can glorify our Father by reaching the world with the gospel, not preaching our opinions.

Obama Picks Rick Warren to Give Inaugural Invocation

I'm sure you saw the news the past couple of days that Obama asked Southern Baptist pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration this January. Of course Obama also asked Rev. Joseph Lowery to give the benediction.  They pretty much cover the spectrum between conservative and liberal religious belief in America, which is probably why Obama picked them. 

There is so much you could say about Obama asking Warren to pray, but one thing stands out to me; no Billy Graham.  Yes, he is now frail and unable to take part in Obama's inauguration, something he's done many times in his position as spiritual advisor to many presidents.  But it does appear to be a passing of the torch so to speak from one generation of religious leaders to the next. 

From the camp meeting evangelist to purpose driven pastor, it appears that Warren is set to take Billy Graham's place as the figurehead of popular American Christianity.  Whether or not he will have the influence Graham had with several presidents is yet to be seen.  But although I for one will miss seeing Billy Graham in the spotlight, I find comfort in Warren taking his place.  I'm not sure I can think of anyone else who has the recognition and middle-of-the-road appeal that Warren does.

So, what do you think?  Am I reading too much into this?  Who else should Obama have asked?

Election Thoughts (a bit late)

I wrote the following as a note on facebook after election day, and decided to post it here.  Comments welcome:

In my circle, most of the people I know will be deflated today. I go to an evangelical church, I hang with mostly white, conservative people. I don't consider myself racist or bigoted, but the fact remains we all tend to hang with the people most like us. Not saying it's good or bad, just the way it is.

Even as I feel like an outsider looking in as I watch people celebrate Obama's victory, I allow myself to feel a little elation as well. A black man has been elected president of the United States. That is wonderful. We are now more than ever the land of opportunity for all our people. And even though I do not agree with his more liberal views, Obama seems to be a capable man, and hopefully able to bring the country together after the election.

The problems this president faces as staggering. In addition to two wars, a 700 billion bailout and a tanking economy, he also has the huge problem of ballooning entitlements facing him. Never has a new president had so much to do and his hands so fiscally tied; the money isn't there for many new initiatives. The problems will define most of his agenda.

So I challenge everyone I know to pray for Obama. Scripture makes it clear we are to pray for our leaders, whether we agree with them or not. Obama is only one man, in a three-tier system of government. God still holds the trump card, because he's God. He isn't sweating on the throne. Faith prays for our leaders and hopes for the best. Please don't pull away, but enter the process. God uses it in ways we cannot imagine.