On the eve of hope...

Today we have set aside to observe the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Many business and establishments are closed. There will be rallies, speeches and marches...all commemorating the man who's face is synonymous with the civil rights movement. There is no irony lost in the fact that tomorrow, in many ways Dr. King's dream will finally be realized when Barack Hussien Obama takes the oath of office as the President of the United States of America. Some people are very happy, having lived during the oppression of people of color by others. Some people are not, believing that President-elect Obama cannot fulfill his campaign promises. However, I believe that we all have expectations of our future president that are far too lofty.
I voted for Barack Obama, believing that his plan to lead this country is better than that of Senator McCain. I have a great deal of respect for John McCain, as he is a fellow veteran and has served his country with the utmost honor. I just don't believe that he is suited to lead this country during the present turmoil that we live in...but, what we, as a nation, expect Obama to do during his presidency is almost insurmountable. To understand what I am saying I suppose I should point out what the president's duty is...
In a nutshell, the president is the chief policy maker. He is responsible for the economic welfare of this country. He is also the Commander-In-Chief of our nations' Armed Forces...his is the responsibilty of keeping or nation militarily strong and safe. The country's morale ebbs and flows with the President's ability or perceived ability to govern the nation. That is what we should expect Barack Obama to do...govern our nation in such a way that we are financially stable and safe at home, home being the USA. But we expect so much more...
I have listened intently to a myriad of conversations from all sorts of people since the election...well, even during the marathon campaign, and what many believe Obama will do is...well, too much. Some believe that, because of Obama's election victory, racism will cease to exist in this country. Others feel that we will suddenly have a drastic change in our economy, an upswing that will have us all realizing the proverbial "American Dream" once again. There are some that believe just the opposite. Some believe that he will be wildly successful, others hope he will be a dismal failure. There are some that believe that he is God sent...now, I can understand all of the different feelings and beliefs until we get to that one..Barack Obama...God sent? Okay...I mention this because I overheard a conversation about the name Barack being in the bible...(actually, it's spelled Barak but for someone who is reaching it is all the same...)Barak (the biblical one) was sent by Deborah, the fourth and only female judge of Israel in the old testament, to go to battle with Sisera, the commander of the Hazor army. Events led to Sisera's death at the hand of Jael (a tent peg through the temple...ewww...). And, that is all that is mentioned of Barak. I pointed out that the biblical story is actually about Deborah and her rule as judge but was told, "Well, you have to read between the lines." So, rather than argue with somebody who's mind has been made up, I simply smiled and let it be...
So, what is my point to this post? Will, it is just this...Barack Hussien Obama is a man and that is it. He is God created, but as for him being God sent to right all of this countries social wrongs...I don't think so. He will, I hope, be a good president and govern in a way that brings back national pride. His presidency will not however, bring about the end of racism, hatred, poverty, violence and all other injustices that we face on a daily basis, only individuals can do that. His presidency may be the beginning to conversations and thoughts...but, will this reach everyone? Who knows...? In the end, Mr. Obama is a man that must one day answer to THE MAN who is in the person of Jesus Christ. So, while I believe that our hope for tomorrow is brighter, I pray that we don't place our hope in one man but in a trilogy...the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...