>Pride and What Else?

I was disappointed with our country’s choice; for reasons I’ll delve into soon, I am skeptical of our President-elect, and even a bit fearful. But, what happened Tuesday night and in the infant hours of Wednesday was something I will never forget. Though he was not my choice, Barack Obama represents so much for our country. Watching a black man ascend to the presidency is something we should all be proud of, Republican, Democrat, or other. In fact, seeing the live footage of over 100,000 people–white, black, Hispanic, and who knows what else–huddled together on the grass of Grant Park in Chicago, cheering and crying for the nation’s first black president, was one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had as an American. When seen in the light of what was happening to blacks just 40 years ago, Tuesday night will stand as a monument for the United States and the rest of the nations. That kind of change excites me.

However, the other types of change President-elect Obama wants to implement fail to excite me. In short, I cannot be excited about the socialist model of government he puts his faith in; I cannot be excited about a president who has done so much in the past to throw away the lives of infants, born and unborn; I cannot be excited about a president who, through his associations and his past, has shown so much contempt for his country. I can only hope and pray that due to the political and economic climate of the nation today, President-elect Obama will not be able to bring about his “Change”; “No se puede,” to put it in his terms.

But, for all my trepidation, for all my discouragement, I should support my president; I should pray for my president. For whatever reason, now seen or unseen, God has put President-elect Obama in this position at this time. If I trust His sovereignty, I should respect my president and hope for his success, in terms of our nation’s success.

Life in a fallen world, in many ways, is about managing certain paradoxes. Though I am fervently proud of our nation, I am equally as disappointed. Though I am fervently happy to see a black man president, I am frightened to see Barack Obama as that man.

But no matter who the president is, may we pray for our nation.