Thursday, November 13, 2008

Moving On


Well, aren’t you glad not to have as much political campaigning going on?
I’ve seen and heard enough mud throwing (oops, I mean political debates) to last me for the next four years. I will be glad if we ever have a politician who refuses to play that game and actually sticks to the issues. I have yet to find one.

I got phone calls from France congratulating me on Obama’s election. That was a little puzzling to me but it seems to me that the general sense in Europe and in the States is that folks are ready for a change and Obama seems to personify that. Even Republican Indiana voted Democrat. This is a historical vote but I hope the historicity of the vote is not based only on race.

One thing I know is that I am not as versed in the American political system as I would like to be. I guess I need to revisit my American government books and review some things that I studied in college years ago. I went to high school in France so we did not study the American political system then obviously. I need to talk more with my politically savy friends.
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Another thing I know is that I try to keep my political opinions to myself and out of the pulpit. I encourage people to register and vote though because this is a freedom and a privilege that can never be taken lightly but unfortunately too often is. I am mindful that people fought and even sometimes died for that privilege. Many people in the world still can’t vote or vote freely. It was not until 1945 that women in France could vote!

Another thing I know is that, as many others, I do not fit neatly in the Republican or Democrat camp. I have voted for people on both sides over the years based on my best understanding of their fitness for the task at hand. I prayed about my vote for the next president; I talked with friends about my thoughts and feelings, etc… It was not an easy decision but I am at peace with my voting decisions.

Now, we need to stop pitting party against party. Be glad we only have two major parties in the U.S. In France there are many more covering the extreme right and left and everything in between and it seems like there are elections for one thing or another all the time.

It is time to be united; to get back on our feet economically; to bring home, in a responsible way, our men and women who are fighting in Irak…

I am sure I am naïve but I want to help leave this world a better place. Jesus calls us to be the salt and light to the world. How do we do this? What does that look like? I think we start right where we are by touching the people around us with the love of Jesus. It means displaying love and mercy and forgiveness and a teachable spirit. I think it means we give our life away in service to others. What would Jesus do?

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