In case you've been living with your head stuck in a hole, you know what our economy's like, that there's about to be a historic inauguration of the first African American president, and people in general are just weary. You either are full of it or fully aware you're missing it. Let me just first say that I know this is a huge moment in history and am proud of the United States that we have moved even further past that horrible time of slavery and racial inequality to be able to have a non-WASP president. And I will be praying for Barack Obama as he takes over the office of the President of the United States of America. But let me go back to something I wrote days after the election last November:
The same way that we need to respect and pray for Barack Obama, we need to respect our current president. We give one (hu)man way too much credit if we believe that this one man alone is the cause of all our nations problems, and on
the flip side, we give one (hu)man way too much credit to believe he is the answer it to it all. I would believe this no matter who had won. These are men, albeit powerful men, but men. In my knowledge there has only been one time in history that God has walked this earth in human form.
Leading up to tomorrow's inauguration, I've seen TV specials, newspaper articles, books, hear conversation, etc. And it's all about how "now we have hope." I think this desire for change and something to hope in is 1) because of how times are difficult now (but that's a natural part of life... some times are hard, some times are easy, some times are in between)... and people want to believe that new leadership is capable of bringing change, and 2) because the desire for hope is evidence of the hole in our heart for God. You may be reading this and not have the same faith as I do. So let me say this to you in apology: I think the Church (universal) has done a very poor job of displaying the realness of God. He's not just some Sunday/Wednesday only thing. No, He is a real part of every part of my day. (Although, sometimes... often times... I mess that up and don't act like it because of my sin.) There are definitely Believers out there getting it, but I think why we're seeing so many people turn from faith in God is that we're not showing people how a relationship with God changes your life. How you should be different because of it. Life won't be easy, but you have hope for something better. Hope that you will be changing to become more Christ-like. Hope that you'll one day be in Heaven. But in a world where people want to know what makes Christians different, we don't always do a good job showing them. We don't show how Christ is real, in the flesh (through our flesh) working in our lives and on this earth. So people continue to search for something or someone to hope in.
But without Christ, there's no hope.
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