Election Day

Similar to last May's post during primary season, here are a few notes about today:

I have to admit I'm not the most patriotic person in this country, but I do love this day. There is something very special to me about waking up and exercising my civic duty. This year is a very exciting one as we have an American hero running against a younger man who symbolizes hope for many minorities across our multicultural nation. I know I'm a bit rose-colored in my thoughts on this, but I believe they are both good men. They both have political views that I don't agree with, and yet, I admire them. I will be excited about the changes coming our way as a nation regardless of who wins.

In my town, the YMCA is on the second floor of the town hall. The Y opened at 5 am and the polls open at 6:30. I had decided to go to the gym at 5 and then go downstairs and cast my vote. I am not progressive enough to vote early. When I went to the gym at 5:15, there were already 3 people in line. By the time I got downstairs, at 6, I was the 24th person in line. By the time the polls opened, my small town had 200+ people wrapped around town hall ready to vote. It was amazing, and encouraging. I was only there for about an hour, but in that time, I got to talk to a number of folks from my town who I know and respect. Moreover, I am sure that I was speaking to folks who were voting for different candidates. Did this make the interactions tense? Not at all. As a matter of fact, people were generally smiles. It was good.

Of course, as I type this, everything points to our 44th president being Senator Obama. For some this is a very exciting event and for others, it is very upsetting. Part of the reason for this victory is that polls are showing that evangelical Christians have split between the two candidates. Consequently, I have read some very judgmental things regarding the other half of Christian voters and I find it appropriate that this past weekend, the sermon at my church included the following verses from James.

"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?"
-James 4:11-12

This is something we need to take to heart as we continue. There are Christians who voted on either side and all of us need to pray with pure motives for our leaders regardless of who they are.