It's been said that we live in a time when the "makeup artist is more important than the speech writer." The comment speaks to the fact that we're looking much more for image than policy from politicians - and everyone else I suppose. President Barak Obama certainly communicates a positive image to many Americans at least (the margin of victory for the race wasn't incredible so he doesn't appeal to everyone) but he also appeals to people around the world.
I had an interesting experience in Vienna, on the train from the airport into the city. I got into a very pleasant conversation with a late 20's something guy who is studying philosophy at the University in Vienna. He asked where we were from, and the conversation went on from there. It led in some interesting directions... one of which was his curiosity about President Obama. He wanted to know, "How do Americans feel about Obama?" It's a good question, and he framed it well I think, "How do Americans feel about Obama?" My answer was, "lots of Americans feel good about Obama, but very few people know much about Obama. On many fronts he's a relative unknown in my view. The young man went on to say that Europeans loved Obama. My response to him was, "That's my sense of it... my impression is that Europeans love Obama." I asked what they loved about him. I think it's interesting that he had no answer whatever. Truthfully, he couldn't list one thing he really knew about Obama. Then he said something really interesting... "Maybe we should make Obama the President of the world!" To this of course I inwardly smiled and thought... WOW... if you wanted you could make some prophetic hay with that... but I don't want to... I don't think Barak Obama is the anti-Christ or anything close really... I just thought it was an interesting statement.
As a Christian it's my role to support our leaders and pray for them. I am hopeful for the future and hopeful that President Obama will make good decisions for America. I'm skeptical about some areas certainly. I don't think his economic policy will help our economic situation because I don't think you can borrow your way out of debt. (I do understand that Bush wasn't able to stop this economic situation either). I don't think President Obama will get us out of our conflicts around the world any faster than anyone else would have... and I think if Obama had been President when 9/11 happened we'd still be right where we are today... perhaps without the surge policy in Iraq. I don't think putting government in control of more things is the answer to our woes... including socialized health care... though I see big problems with the affordability of health care and would love to see some solutions. I am deeply concerned about the issue of abortion in our country, and the availability for even late term (partial birth abortions). I cannot personally square that policy with a Christocentric world view. Not because I want to tell other people what to do with their bodies (though we do that all the time in a civilized culture and we always will), I just think that human life begins at conception and I'm not sure there's much evidence to the contrary.
I love it that we have an African American President, and I think, as Juan Williams said on Election night choked with emotion, it speaks volumes about America that so few years after the horrible racial injustices that we've seen that we have a "black President." It appears to me that Barak Obama is thoughtful, and he is clearly intelligent. He seems well-spoken. History will decide whether or not he was a good President... as it will all our Presidents over time. But what do you think after the first 100 days? Any positive steps? Negative steps? I'd love to publish them on my blog and have a bit of dialogue about it. (You need to know that I won't publish ranting and raving - or impolite remarks so don't bother with them - but I would love to hear what you think). I surely believe that, even among Christians, the conversation needs to become civil. I don't sense that too many people are listening these days... it would help us if we did.
2 comments:
What's the deal with the first 100 days? It's such a big job and it seems like it'd take 100 days just to find all the bathrooms and whatnot in the White House.
Anyhow... I like the fact that Mr. Obama has been working to improve our relations with foreign countries. It seems like he's working to be a peace maker and someone who is willing to reach out to other nations - even those we've historically considered our enemies. The economic situation is such a mish-mash that it's hard to assess. I'm not in favor of the government bailing out corporations. That being said, I'm not sure I like the alternative of letting everything fail and the repercussions of that failure on the US and the world. If it were just Chrysler or just ING or just... then it'd be easier to stomach and absorb. There's been so much corruption, though... It'd be easy to blame the Bush Administration and their financing a war by borrowing money from probably our largest economic competitor, but I'm afraid that the economic woes of the US are not relegated to our government. Poor to stupid fiscal decisions on the part of citizens has made our status ten times worse.
On the issue of the War. Why do you think that things would have been the same with Mr. Obama? Why did I automatically think that they'd be different?
I think that socialized health care along with same-sex marriage are inevitable happenings in this country - I give it 3 to 5 years with health care taking longer than same-sex marriage to actualize. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not a Socialist (funny inside joke, so laugh), but if it came down to the problems of Socialism or me and mine (or you and yours for that matter), I'll take Socialism for $1,000, Alex. Hopefully someone can come up with a different plan quickly, because Socialism and Communism have been, for the most part, historical failures.
Abortion is the silent holocaust of our generation. Mr. Obama has taken little time in reversing much, if not all, of the progress Mr. Bush made toward protecting the lives of the unborn. In the last five or six years, though, I've become so discouraged with the focus abortion has received to the neglect to flat out denial of the existence of other pressing social or moral issues by those in the Evangelical community. It's almost like life before that final push is the only sort of life that needs to be paid attention to and gol-darn-it, we'll support any candidate who sees it our way regardless of how unqualified, ignorant, or crooked that candidate is. "You're Pro-Life and a 'Bible-believing' Christian, then you're qualified."
An interesting side-note. As my dad traveled around the world during the Bush Administration, he received a lot of feedback regarding our nation's leader. After 9-11, he received e-mail after e-mail from people all around the world who wanted to be united with us during those dark days. However, it wasn't long before so many conversations turned to, "How could you guys vote for that guy?" It would be interesting to find out what so many people around the world found so unappealing about Mr. Bush and what so many find Mr. Obama to be worthy of invitations to run as "President of the World."
Hopefully this President will help Christ-followers of every stripe realize that we're captives living in Babylon and have been for some time. Hopefully we can leave our reliance upon Empire and return to loving God and loving our neighbor.
Hey Chris, good to read your thoughts!
Let's see, the first hundred days. I'm guessing it's a totally arbitrary benchmark that has, over the years, become the first evalutaion point. It's too bad for a couple reasons. First, it may cause premature decisions in order to give something to point to as having been accomplished. Second it gives the wrong impression that real change happens quickly... in my experience that isn't the case.
I like the fact that Obama is working on foreign relations also... I'll be curious to see if it matters in any substantive way. I do hope that we don't begin to negotiate with rogue nations who are bent on the total annihilation of other nations. I'm not totally hawkish in siding with Israel, but I do think that in some ways the Middle East peace process has been more engaged by the Israelies than those bent on their utter annihilation... and who articulate that goal and hope openly. I haven't studied this enough to have a clear view... but that's what I see from where I sit right now.
I think the war situation would be exactly the same for the very reason that you stated regarding your dad and his travel experiences. In the early days after 9/11 even the French made the statement... "We're all Americans today!" That's something. I think there was a universal sense that "we can't let this stand." There was a demand - by everyone - for some action. I'll bet we couldn't go back and find more than half a dozen political leaders who were against going to war. Maybe I don't remember it clearly. Obama could not have stood against that in my opinion... and I think he would have agreed with it. Those who began to second guess the war action did so because war is ugly and soldiers started dying and they didn't have the stomach for it.
I also think we'd be in the same place because prior to the election Barak said he'd have the troops out in 18 months. Two days after he was elected he started saying, "We have to carefully analyze the situation." He knew, all along, that he couldn't pull the troops out for all the same reasons that Bush wasn't pulling them out.
War is miserable, ugly, I think almost all people hate it (including Bush and most military people), and I think it will always be here until the end of the age.
I agree about health care Chris... not having it is difficult and puts people in a real bind - I've met them, talked to them, and hurt with them as you have... and I've faced some of my own health care costs. My fear is that it will work like the Post Office - sorry postal workers - but if ever there was a picture of inefficient customer service... that's it. It also interested me when I was in Canada last summer to drive by "private surgery centers." Healthcare may be available to everyone... just not available in any kind of timely manner. So I think better healthcare will still be more available to those with more money, it will just create another level. Having said that, I have no answer to this problem.
Same sex marriage is interesting, and I'm not entirely sure I understand the point. There are a lot of ways to acknowledge the same sex relationships without calling them marriage - and many of them are already being done. I suppose you're right about it though... it's going to happen.
I also know what you're saying about abortion Chris... I don't want to be a one-issue voter or someone who says, "if you're pro-choice and a bible believer you're in." But I'm not sure I see other issues that are on the same moral level as that one that I'm neglecting personally as a voter or citizen. I think it's significantly important as a Christian to realize we're called to be redemptive in as many ways as we see injustice and destruction; bringing peace, justice, light, life, freedom, and abundance to the world around us. So I should... and I think this is what you're saying... not take abortion off the list of injustices and immoralities... but we should make sure it's not he only thing on the list of injustices and immoralities. I'm not sure there are any other comparable issues with which I find myself totally at odds with President Obama, which was my point in that remark. Could you think of some?
Wow I got a little long winded here, which is completely contrary to my nature (my own little inside joke!). Thanks again for the thoughts Chris.
JJR
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