An Open Letter . . .

To Mr. Obama:

The people have spoken, and you have been chosen to be the next president of the United States. You should know that I did not vote for you, and I am disappointed that you have won this election. My disappointment has nothing to do with your race. I didn't not vote for you because you are black. My choice transcends issues of race and heritage.

I am a white, middle-class woman who is about your age. I'm well-educated, with a master's degree in English that I earned from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. I grew up in a small town in Ohio, where we left the doors to our houses and cars unlocked when we left them. We were that safe. At my high school graduation from the town's public high school, a local pastor led in prayer and then gave the address to the graduates. One Easter, in a public school assembly, I was asked to sing a solo. I sang a song called "The Day He Wore My Crown," a song about Christ dying on the cross for my sin and all that means for me and other Christians. You may wonder what any of this has to do with anything, but these are the things that shaped me, and our nation has moved far away from the things that have shaped my life. Your administration promises to move this country even farther away from the things that have shaped me, and while many would see this as progress, I see it as a loss of freedom, and this concerns me, since I am a citizen of the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

But most importantly, what shapes me is my Christianity. Before I am an American, before I am even a wife, mother, or book editor, I am a Christian, a follower of Christ. And this shapes everything that I think or do. I abhor many of the principles that you stand for. I believe that the blood of the millions of infants that are killed each year because they are an inconvenience to the mothers who have conceived them cries out to God from the ground, and He is offended. I believe that it is wrong to take money from those who prosper to give it to those who don't have as much so that they can experience "fairness." You call this taxing the rich. God calls it stealing. I believe that God has established marriage to be between a man and a woman. God tells us in His Word that same-sex relationships are unnatural, shameful, and degrading. You have told us that you want to enact legislation that would, in essence, thumb its nose at God and His requirements for our lives. It isn't a good way to start off a new presidency.

What you need to understand, Mr. Obama, is that in the end, you are simply God's instrument. All men are like grass, God tells us, and that includes you. "The authorities that exist have been established by God," the apostle Paul tells us under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Whether you believe it or not, you will become the president of the United States because God has placed you in that position. I have prayed throughout this campaign, as have many I know, that this would not be the end result, but we have to add, "God's will be done."

But now that we know that this is the will of God for the United States of America, I and my family will pray for you as God would have us to--that you will lead wisely, justly, and in what is truly the best interests of our country. We will also be praying that God will change your heart. You say that you are a Christian, and yet many of us remain unconvinced because of the values you hold, the associations you have. So we will pray that you will truly know the power of the gospel, because there is no greater power. It is the power of salvation for all who believe. And if you do know that power, you will lead with true justice, power, and compassion.

There will be a day when the unborn will no longer be killed, when men will not relate unnaturally to other men and women to women, when poverty and hunger and disease will be eliminated. But the Messiah who will bring these eventualities to pass has already accomplished this. He is the only One who could--there is no other. You are not a messiah, Mr. Obama, and yet you have encouraged your supporters to believe that under your leadership the government will make them happy, pay their mortgages, and put gas in their tanks. The environment will be perfected, and all will experience equity and prosperity as you redistribute the wealth of the nation.

You've made some large promises, and there will undoubtedly be many who will be disappointed when you don't succeed. Perhaps that disappointment will make them realize that hope placed in change, in a person, in a government and its policies--is misplaced hope. The hope that is never misplaced is hope that is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I pray that you will cling to that hope as you lead our nation.

So although I am disappointed today that you will be our next president, I am not defeated. More than being a citizen of the United States, I am a citizen of the kingdom that is forever. God's truth abideth still, whether you promote it or seek to squelch it. Just a bit of advice, though, from an average citizen--those earthly leaders and nations that seek to promote God's truth generally fare better than those who seek to squelch it. You might want to use the time before now and January to consider and study that. A good place to start is with the rulers Saul and David in 1 and 2 Samuel in the Old Testament. They illustrate these principles well.

I have my doubts about you, Mr. Obama. I have not been impressed by your charisma, your rhetorical skills, or what I have perceived as a general lack of integrity in your character. But my trust is not in chariots, horses, or princes (there's that conservative Christian Bible stuff again). I trust in the name of the Lord our God, and He will accomplish His purposes. For reasons that are far wiser than I could even begin to understand, He has chosen to accomplish them through you. It will be an exciting ride watching how God uses you to accomplish His will on earth, as it is accomplished in heaven.

I will leave you with this, Mr. Obama. Psalm 1 tells us that the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners is blessed. The one who delights in the law of the Lord is like a healthy tree planted by a river that produces fruit and does not wither. You might want to read Psalm 2 to see what God thinks about rulers who take their stand against Him. In that psalm, God warns the rulers of the earth to serve the Lord with fear. May we all serve that Lord with fear that we may be blessed by taking refuge in Him.

Sincerely,
A Concerned Christian American