Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Random musings post-election 2008

Last nite the world watched as history played out right before our eyes -- it was indeed history in epic proportions. While I do not agree with SEVERAL of now President-elect Obama's stated policies, he started gaining my hard-to-admit admiration early on in this race. One of the things I admired was the way he was able to draw people from all walks of life to his campaign and got so many people, especially young people who had a reputation for not being interested in the political process, excited and involved enough so much so that many of them to voted for the first time in this election.

Over the course of the last 11 months, and especially the last 2 months since the conventions, several things has stood out to me, some I have expressed to family and close friends, others I have kept mostly to myself or expressed only to my husband until today:

Why was there such a contrast in the crowd that obama drew vs mccain? The crowd @ grant park in chicago was a mix -- reflecting the mixture of populations in american -- the great american melting pot as the old ABC after school special used to point out, but the majority of faces seen at a mccain concession speech were white? Ditto question for the election rallies held by McCain and Palin during the weeks leading up to the election. To me the crowds were overwhlemingly as one CNN anchor put it "homogenous".

Regardless of their religious/spiritual affliation, wasn't the diverse compositon of the crowd that celebrated Obama;'s election at grant park a true reflection of what heaven will be like -- people from all colors, races, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and walks of life?

Will my brothers and sisters in the Kingdom who are white ever really understand what it meant to their black sisters and brothers to see a black family on the national stage and feel the genuine love between Barack Obama and his wife Michelle? Can they understand that not since the Cosby show have we seen a positive image of a black family unitl prominently displayed to the national stage for all the world to see?

Why was it OK for Pastor Jamal Bryant to mention something that was a rumor at best about Sarah Palin in this video, when he had to endure scandal in his own personal life, not once, but twice this year? Why was it necessary to bring up details of her personal life, such as that she was 3 months pregnant (supposedly, does he know if this is really true?, when he himself had a publicized scandal that involved a child conceived out of wedlock over 8 years ago? He had a valid message but the mention of a supposed affair dampened it --@ least for me it did...no scratch that, it incensed me so much that I woke up one morning thinking about why it bothered me so much and then I remembered the scandal and rumor surrounding him earlier in the year. He could have made his point without mentioning it and it would have been just as effective. Jesus said "he who is without sin cast the first stone" -- why didn't he keep that in mind?

Why did he think as a black pastor in this country, especially after the unwelcome attention Jeremiah Wright received when some his sermons were made public, that it was OK for him to preach politics knowing that it was being recorded? Doesn't he know that his words can come back to haunt him?

Why did so many prominent prophetic voices jump on the bandwagon and presume that because of Sarah Palin's background in the Assembly of God pentecostal denomination that God wanted her in office as president? Didnt they realize by doing so they were in turn putting a death wish on John McCain as fellow Kingdom blogger, Carl of Revival Blog, pointed out?

Was it so hard for many of those same prominent voices to consider that God wanted Barack Obama to win the presidency even though in their eyes and according to their criteria, he wasn't the one? Did they forgot that in the Bible God placed certain people in power according to his Sovereign will? Did they forget that in the Word that the Lord called people who in our time the vast majority of us would consider "awful" leaders (to say the least)? Examples include Nebuchadnezzar who the Lord called his servant, and Saul who the Lord gave to the children of Isreal because they wanted a king.

Does anyone else realize that there was a difference in candidate of choice between the prominient black christians and prominent white christians, especially those in the Apostolic/Prophetic/Pentecostal sects of Christianity highlighs the apparently huge chasm that is the racial divide that exists in the Kingdom, especially among American Christians? One needs only to to look to the blog of some everday folks, and lesser known pastors to see the glaring truth. See here for list of links of such examples, but please pray before reading them. :-)

Why aren't there more bloggers with a balanced response such as this post here and this one .

Was it hard for those same people to consider that when prophet Kim Clement went on record earlier this year back in March and hinted that Obama is who God wanted in office for the next four years? Didn't they remember that he is also one of several prophetic voices who went on record over 8 years ago and said that God revealed he wanted then Governor George W. Bush to be the next president of the USA for the coming election in 2000 (a choice that many of them agreed with)?

How could so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ, mostly white, but a few blacks, say anyone who voted for Obama and said they are a Christian was indeed "not godly"? (Note this is from a blog that I frequently visit and ususally like reading the author's posts).

Was it OK for another fellow Kingdom blogger, who I generally also tend to agree with to call Obama "the personification of evil in this hour"? Why didn't the author instead exhort her readers to pray and fast for God to turn his heart regarding his beliefs on abortion? (see Proverbs 21:1)

Why did I consistently get emails from my friends in the kingdom who are white that supported McCain or reported some negative thing about Obama or his policies? Was it that hard to consider that God wants Obama in office and thats who He had already selected for such a time as this before the foundation of the world? Did those same friends ever stop to consider they too should pray for Barack Obama in addition to praying for John McCain?

Why did I consistently get emails of support from my friends in the Kingdom who are black who presumed that I was also an Obama supporter because I too am black? Why did praying for the election from the mouth of my fellow black saints really mean "I'm praying for Obama to win" instead of praying for God's will to be done in the election?

Why have so many Black saints, including Spirit-filled saints, cursed and disparaged outgoing President Bush for the past 8 years? Did they forget that the Word of God reminds us to pray for our leaders, especilly including those in power?

Why aren't there more black leaders, such as Bishop Harry Jackson, who speak out against abortion and join with other leaders in the 5-fold ministry who are doing the same?

What will it take for Christians in this country who are black not to view politics, culture, and life general through the lense of race before their identity in Christ?

Do most blacks know that historically speaking, its only since the election of 1960 that blacks started voting Democrat? Has the younger generation really given thought to why they vote Democrat instead of going along to get along because everyone else who they know votes Democrat?

Why have Christians as a whole allowed themselves to be polarized politically by one or two issues: abortion, and homosexuality for the "Evangelicals", ie, white Christians, and for black Christians, social issues, such as the plight of the poor and needy?

In so doing, aren't we pitting the babies against the poor? The unborn against the down-trodden? How then do we combine the two: justice and righteousness as Bishop Harry Jackson so eloquently stated what I had already wondered about in my own heart during a message he delivered at the Women's Aglow International Conference in September of this year.

What will it take for the church at large to speak out and do something about about other, far-reaching social issues, such as the international sex slave trade, the genocide in Darfur, the atrocities committed against the women of the Congo who are victims of rape as a weapon of war? Why have we allowed government to take over the role that the church should be playing -- as Jesus commanded in the New Testament when he was here in human form?

When will we realize that we cannot legislate certain aspects of morality, and instead that change we so desperately want and need in America must instead come on our knees?

Why did I get emails from many of my black Christian saints attacking Sarah Palin? Was it so hard to see her first as a sister in Christ, who although people may have felt she was unqualified as VP, that it was NOT OK to insult her or agree with the insults?

Do the talking heads @ Fox News really expect black people to buy the line that they are fair and balanced in light of the overal image protrayal of Barack Obama?

Why is it so hard to be black, but have generally conservative political views? Why are blacks in the media who do generally maligned by their black "brothers and sisters" and frequently referred to as "sell-outs" for it?

Why is it that conservative talk shows frequently hold and espouse beliefs that can be intepreted as undercover racism?

Why are the most outspoken celebrities that use their fame and voice usually liberal and Democrat? Why do they think we, the normal everday folks of America, feel the same way they do? Why are celebrities whose views are considered conservative treated like the proverbial stepchildren in the mainstream entertainment industries?

Do people realize the changes that either candidate wants to make won't come automatically and has to be implemented via laws that Congress -- the House of Representatives and the Senate --have to approve them first? Why does the average person put all the blame for our economic crisis on the president alone?

Do the other cable news networks, CNN and especially MSNBC, expect people to believe that they were objective in their coverage of election 2008? Wasn't it quite obvious from early on in this process who they wanted to win the election come November 4, 2008?

Are the McCain supporters, including the "evangelical" community still seeing this as a sad day? Why has the response been one of "sackcloth and ashes"? Did they forget that God is still in control?

How could a man of influence in the Apostolic/Prophetic arena such as Dutch Sheets publically state that the election results were not the will of God? (Note if the text is not there try this link .)
Why wasn't his response one of support and prayer like the other leaders who issued statements here on Charisma magazine's website or this one from Charisma's Editor-In-Chief J. Lee Grady who many people accused of being racist because he didn't support Obama as a candidate pre-election.

Again, isn't God sovereign? Didn't Dutch Sheets remember that no matter how things play out, whether in our private lives, or on the world's stage, the will of God will ultimately be done? Did he forget that nothing surprises God and while many in Apostolic/Prophetic/Pentecostal movement are lamenting before God, God hasn't given up His throne and He knew the outcome of this election long before anyone of us on the planet did? Did he forget that while there is the perfect will of God, there is also the permissible will of God -- but both are utimately, the will of God?

Is the 400 plus negative points on the Dow the day after the election a harbinger of things to come?

Isnt it amazing that black people, people of African descent, all over the planet feel Obama is one of thier own and his win feels like their (our) win?
Can anyone deny no matter their opinion on Barack Obama's politics, that his election as president of the United States of America last nite was a defining moment in American history and to an extent the world?

Can anyone not understand how much this means as so eloquently stated in this article on the NY Times website "Whether or not you agree with Barack Obama’s politics, there is no denying that his election represents a seminal moment in the African-American narrative and a giant leap forward on the road to America’s racial reconciliation.". May I add to that it was a giant leap forward in tearing down racial barriers as well.

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