Being President in a Hard Time

photo by namakota das / flickr

Ordinarily I don't get into partisan politics in these blog posts. And that is not my intention today. But the world seems to be going crazy. We can't deal with guns because we keep deflecting the issue. We have tied the President's hands when it comes to making any progress on gun control. Most of the politicians at the state and national level are so scared they won't be elected they will not stand up to the NRA regardless of how many people are killed. Job more important than lives? Whatever happened to courage?

But I do think the President is getting a very raw deal. The ugliness and venom that is spewing from politicians--especially those running for President--is appalling. Trump is still pulling out that old threadbare birther card--and he knows better--and whispering there must be something ominous in Obama's background that has something to do with all this chaos. And there are others that simply point their fingers--and yell that all this madness in Colorado and California is his fault. Weak, they say, ineffective. We need a real leader. What so many do not realize is that if we stood as one--along with our President--and work together and deal positively with some of our aching problems--we could make some progress. Dream time--I guess.

Have we forgotten that when the temperature gets high--real leaders turn down the thermostat. Leadership demands someone at the helm who is calm. reasonable--and carefully deals with the big picture. It is true in handling difficult children, in being Pastor of a Church, and we need leaders in our State houses and in Washington who do not pitch tantrums but try to get something done.  Every President has some of the venom President Obama has received thrown at them. Who would want this job? Especially now.

Republican or Democrat--it doesn't matter in a time of grave crisis. We should come together as we did for a brief time after September 11th. It didn't last we went back to being mean-spirited and blaming. President Obama does not pull out the Fear card and wave it continually. He is not going to war by reaction. I guess he knows this 15-year war is still on our credit card. Such action would create more chaos, not less. At Christmastime we need to remember those Advent Scriptures. The angels kept telling frightened people: "Do not fear..." It is really the tom-tom beat of our faith.

This morning I read a Prayer from The Common Book of Prayer: "For the President of the United Staters and all in Authority." It is worth a few moments in such a time as this.

"O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States..and all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them every mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen."

photo by Phong Nguyen / flickr

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com