Inauguration Day

As all of our "blog-ites" know, we are happy that Barack Obama became our nation's 44th president. I pray that he leads our country well. I would not desire the job of president (at all!), and I believe it takes great courage to accept that kind of responsibility. I pray that he and his family remain strong through the grueling years ahead. I pray that decisions he makes will be just and will help those in need. He will fail all of us (for some I recognize he has by becoming president), but I pray that God will give him the grace to lead our nation well.

On another note, how awesome that we got to witness the first African American president take the oath of office! As a teacher, I teach on the Civil Rights and every January and February the injustices done by our country are brought to my attention. Living in the South last year, I read several books borrowed from Eric's African American history class and thought on injustices that still seemed too big to overcome. How neat that my class composed of first graders who are of European, Latin, African, and who knows what else descent could watch Barack Obama swear in as president. It makes me feel slightly less hypocritical telling my students they can be anything they want to be. It also reminds me that there is hope as I think on other injustices currently carried out in our world. And it reminds me of my ultimate hope- that one day Christ will return and there will be no more pain and no more tears. And we will lie down with a lion... and with each other.

One last note from President Obama's inaugural address:

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds..."

It has been so encouraging to know that the church has begun this work. But there is so much more to do. It inspires me as I prepare for Sierra Leone. I hope it inspires all of the American church.