Inauguration Day Thoughts

I appreciate that there are many who see today as a national day of mourning. I am certainly not doing any cartwheels myself. But I did see a few bright spots in the Inauguration ceremony today.

First, I am grateful and surprised that we live in a country in which the Word of God is still a prominent part of the biggest political event in the land. The name of Jesus was boldly proclaimed, and prayers were made in His name. The beatitudes were spoken over a nation who needs to hear them: Blessed are the poor in Spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are those who are meek, merciful, and pure of heart. And perhaps most timely of all, blessed are the peacemakers. My favorite non-scriptural quote came from Rabbi Marvin Hier, who said that a nation's wealth is measured by its values, not its vaults. This after repeated promises by our new President to bring back America's wealth. Well said, Rabbi.

Second, no matter what you think of President Obama, you had to respect his dignity today. You know this was hard, brutally hard, for him. He and his wife would probably much rather poke Donald Trump with a sharp stick than embrace and applaud him, but they did so graciously. After a searing speech in which the new President pinned all of the nation's woes on his back, Mr. Obama smiled warmly, extended his hand, and said, "Good job." I completely disagree with his politics, but I respect and appreciate his maturity, his poise, his faithfulness as a husband and father, and the dignity he brought to the presidency.

And finally, no matter how many times you witness it, you can never stop marveling at the peaceful, honorable transfer of power that we Americans are privileged to enjoy. Yes, the election was ugly and nothing to be proud of. But today? Today was America at its best. Political rivals sat side by side and accepted a new person with radically different ideas and policies. No wars broke out. No one was assassinated. Some boycotters boycotted and some protesters protested, but even that is evidence of a privileged America. Can we ever grasp how radical--maybe even miraculous--our Constitution is? And that generation after generation submit to it, abide by it, and carry it out? Like clockwork, the 45th President was sworn in at 12:00 on January 20, no matter the outcry that preceded it. Remarkable.

And now, Inauguration Day winding down, we do what God's people do every day. We pray for wisdom for our leaders, and we rejoice that there is only one King, and that He never changes.