I'm sure you were looking for some more post-election thoughts...

On Wednesday, we were out of the house at 9:00 AM. I was called for jury duty, which meant I could sleep in a little later. 9:00 AM, as was widely reported, was too late for history. I had naively hoped a Washington Post would be available to me, as had many other Washingtonians. The newspaper boxes were empty and ugly in appearance. Newspaper boxes without newspapers look particularly soulless.

Tuesday night, the cars honked; there were spontaneous eruptions of joy as Cable News anchors reported election results. It reminded me of Paris in 1998 when the French won the world cup. Fewer firecrackers, more shouts. My wife and I sat quietly in our apartment watching results pour in. I was quiet, because I was in awe of history.

I wish I had something new to add to all the commentaries regarding Barack Obama’s achievement. I didn’t cry, because I never felt I would be denied the presidency or any other office because of my appearance. Now, less people feel that way. After my work in New Orleans after Katrina, I appreciate this much more.

In the absence of a regular local tavern where those who know my name gather, Facebook provided a guide of reactions to my Diaspora of friends. A man in my father’s church wrote on his status line, “now, when my son says I want to be president, I can tell him he can and really mean it.” A girl my sister’s age wrote, “we have a black president!!! I love my Jesus!!!!” Some of my more conservative friends made expressions between reservation and despair about what they view as an onslaught of socialism in our country. But Joshua wrote a great post on Facebook, reprinted here in Angela’s blog, from the perspective of a Republican who truly appreciates the gravity of these moments.

McCain still did exceedingly well among Evangelical Christians, winning on a 4-1 margin with Obama making slight gains over Kerry in ’04 (according to Christianity Today) on both sides. Both sides have written with such moral certitude that I think it is healthy to read and understand the other side. Donald Miller’s political journey from Reagan to Obama is a worthwhile read. Here is a good article from Touchstone pleading the case for the unborn, probably the main reason more did not vote for the president-elect. If you are reading this, I hope you find these links useful in understanding both sides.

I am privileged to live in our nation’s Capital at this time in history. I am in awe – not of a man; America’s political system with checks and balances help us remember that even the greatest of our presidents are human. Obama is not Jesus, as my very sensible wife points out. Indeed, many may end up disappointed. But on my shoulders, there is enough of the weight of history upon me for feelings of awe. Awe belongs to a God who redeems humans, families and nations. The girl my sister’s age said it best. We have a black president. I love my Jesus.