One Nation Under God

I don't know much about politics, and I don't really have too much of an interest in it altogether. I do have a concern for this country though, being one of it's citizens and all.

I love certain aspects of this country. It's where I was born, it's where I live, it's where I would like to continue to live. I've had so many wonderful memories here. I've felt the coolness of Autumn approaching off the lakes of Minnesota. I've seen Maine and Vermont in the winter. I've been to numerous beaches and basked in the sun. I love those things. I think we have a wonderful amount of diversity too, when we stop to think about it.

But there are things I don't like. I'm unsettled by turning on the news and hearing the latest number of casualties in nearby cities. I hate that there are so many people living with amazing amounts of wealth, and so many people dying without a dime.

Barack Obama was recently elected President, and with the state of this country, he really has a lot on his plate. No President has an easy job. I stuck up for George W. Bush every time that I could. The press hounded his flaws, and he didn't always make it easy either. Now we have another man in his place, and already I'm seeing people grumble amongst themselves.

There's one thing that isn't going to solve anything, and that is grumbling. You think Obama isn't changing us for the better? Then YOU take action. As a Christian, it's my job to uphold justice, peace, and love. And with as many 'Christians' as there are in this country, shouldn't things look a little different? It's because we, myself included, do not do enough. Somebody else will do it, someone else always does it. Well that's pretty lazy.

We shouldn't be relying on a President to come along who agree's with our ideas of Christ in order to change the world. WE should be the change. We have a terribly large responsibility now, in some regards. Obama is a Democrat, and they generally go for the pro-choice stance, for example. So if as a Christian, I think that abortion is wrong, what would be a loving way of going about trying to abolish it? Donating money to organizations that spread awareness of abstinence/safe sex practices, for example. One thing that would not be a good idea is going outside of abortion clinics with picket signs telling people they're going to hell. Would Jesus be standing with you holding a picket sign in that situation? Highly doubtful, if not most improbable.

Obama is a Democrat. Should that matter to Conservative Christians? Jesus is bigger than political labels. There are some good things I see in Obama's campaign. I don't agree with it all, but I don't have to. He is my President, and I will respect him as a person. I don't have to follow every one of his whims, but I have faith in the long run, that there will be much good that can come of anything that God wills. Jesus wasn't conservative, Jesus wasn't liberal, Jesus prayed to the Father, and let His will be done. If our grumbling is outweighing the time we spend praying for our country and our president, I think that is focusing on the wrong thing.