Something Good Happened Last Night

Topics: Current Events

It can’t be denied that something good happened last night. Those of us who supported John McCain would be wrong to deny it, and we would, quite simply, be denying reality. The good thing that happened was the election of the first African-American president in our history. That in itself is remarkable because even a few years ago, it was unthinkable. And it is an important step forward for our country in freeing ourselves from the stain of slavery, racism and Jim Crow.

I haven’t the slightest idea what sort of president Barack Obama will be, but we will all find out soon enough. 

It is incumbent upon all those who voted for John McCain and felt strongly that he was the better man to show the same grace and dignity that he showed in his concession speech last night. 

There will be plenty of time to regroup and to fight the good fight another day. I wouldn’t change my vote yesterday, but I can accept the outcome without rancor and with some sense of the joy that spilled over from Grant Park in Chicago into every living room in America. 

Perhaps it was meant to be from the beginning. He does seem like a man of destiny. And our future is now joined with his, at least for the next four years. So let us do what Americans have always done, rally behind our next president to pray that God may give him wisdom to choose those things that are best for our nation and strength when he is tested as he surely will be.

As I write these words, he is speaking in Grant Park. It is an amazing sight, and an amazing moment, and we would do well to be glad about it even if we voted for someone else.

Visitor Comments:

November 5, 2008, 10:13 AM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	I would be right there with you, taking in the amazing moment last night, with a shared sense of pride in our nation and its historic choice (of the first non-white candidate ever), except for this... Months ago, Barack Obama stood in front of less publicized audiences at Planned Parenthood and promised pro-abortion groups that his very first action will be to sign the “Freedom of choice” act, which will derail nearly every existing restriction on abortion at both the state and federal levels. That’s what he will do the day he first sits in the Oval Office. After that, he will ensure that every judicial bench he has the opportunity to fill will further erode laws that have taken dozens of years to get passed, like parental notification laws, partial birth abortion bans and other important restrictions that have been placed on abortion clinic operations. For these reasons, I found myself unable to watch Obama’s speech in Grant Park. God is still firmly on His throne, but yesterday was a day in which injustice rang forth.
November 5, 2008, 11:53 AM FromDC says:
	Rev. Pritchard: It may be that we do not agree on some things political, but this was a gracious post and reminds me of why I like to follow your writing. To Derek: May I ask why the concern over allowing someone the right to make a choice? Since you are reviewing Obama’s lines from months ago, perhaps you will also recall his nomination acceptance speech, wherein he indicated - paraphrasing - that the concept of pro-life v. pro-choice is a false choice. In my view, your fight should not be against pro-choice, it should be against pro-abortion; there is a HUGE difference. Morality cannot be legislated. Freedoms (including choice - like the right to make, in your words, an “historic choice") can and should be. Take time to celebrate what God has allowed us to witness, before engaging in the next battle.
November 5, 2008, 12:15 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	FromDC - all laws are based on the moral decisions of lawmakers, judges and everyone who is involved in the democratic process. As a matter of fact, civil rights laws are a great example of the legislation of morality. The Constitution and the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence guarantee every person the fundamental right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This in my view, is why the two gravest injustices in our nation’s history are slavery and abortion, both of which deny major classes of humans the right even to life. To the extent that Obama’s presidency marks another repudiation of slavery, our nation’s first moral travesty, it is deeply marred by Obama’s unflinching advocacy for the universal right to destroy life in its most innocent form at all stages of pregnancy.
November 5, 2008, 2:17 PM Helen says:
	Pastor Ray, I agree with you - electing the first African-American president is historic and amazing and a step forward for America.
November 5, 2008, 2:53 PM FromDC says:
	Derek - Thanks for the reply. I appreciate your view. So as to not turn Dr. Pritchard’s site into our own forum on something off-topic of his post, I’ll just leave it with this: You said: “The Constitution and the founding principles of the Declaration of Independence guarantee every person the fundamental right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” To which I say, to deny the prinicple of life on the issue of abortion is to deny the principle of liberty on the same issue. The founding father’s were wise men, but I wonder if they considered this matter? How could they? What President-Elect Obama has said is that he will oppose any amendment to overturn the Court’s decision on this case. May your dissatisfaction on this concern not be cast completely at the feet of our next president, lest you look back and find that the issue did not begin with him. God bless!
November 5, 2008, 4:53 PM Daniel Darling says:
	Ray, Thanks for these thoughts. I completely agree. In fact, I was preparing myself for this reality before the election. If we really take seriously the Bible’s commands to pray for our leaders and that God appoints them—we must be honest and hope for President Obama’s success. I was visibly moved by the moment on the stage of an African American president. Seeing those people in tears brought me to tears. I have faith that God is in control of all things and his program for this world and for our lives was not disturbed one bit by what happened last night.
November 5, 2008, 5:24 PM Patrick sullivan says:
British / Australian . Retired Pastor. Hospital Chaplain. Creator and Webmaster of www.jesuschristonly.com	Here in Australia we have followed the US Presidenual Elections with tremendous interest. Don’t think I am wrong if I say that for the most Australians rejoice with the America people. One thing I find hard to understand from this distance away in Australia, is just how anyone could have seriously chosen and voted for Sarah Palin as a vice presidential running mate and placed America and the world just a heart beat away from her being the leader of the free world. I still cannot take it in, it seemed to me to come strait out of a Hollywood comedy script....God Bless America.... Pat
November 5, 2008, 5:28 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	FromDC- I am glad that Americans are at a place where we can elect candidates of any race (I would hope and assume we would also be willing to vote for an Asian or Latino as well). I’m just explaining that I was so filled with sadness at Obama’s actions (described in my first post) that I just had to turn off the TV when before he came out and spoke. Maybe it is a defect in my character, but I simply could not appreciate the moment of his speech in Grant Park as a positive moment in our nation’s history. Daniel - our actions do not take anything away from God’s sovereignty. But it is also true that God will hold us accountable for our actions. And our actions do have very real consequences for us and for the people affected by our decisions, whether it happens in the political realm or elsewhere. I believe that God will hold this generation (and especially this generation of Christians) accountable for capitulating on the great miscarriage of justice of our day. Do we not believe that God would or should hold our forebears accountable for the sin of slavery?
November 5, 2008, 5:29 PM patriot says:
	Yes, Patrick - we are aware that many people outside U.S. have been giving us "advice" about who we should vote for. As long as you don't mind if we offer unsolicited advice the other way around, everything's cool. :) I liked - and like - Palin. Sorry to hear you disagree. Maybe the Australian media (like most of the U.S. media) didn't play some of the numerous embarrassing comments of Mr. Biden or perhaps you'd agree.
November 6, 2008, 9:06 AM Ray Pritchard says:
	Pat, here’s something that may surprise you. I voted for McCain primarily because of Sarah Palin. I liked her from the first minute she was introduced and saw nothing that made me change my mind. To me she got a bad rap from the media and was harshly—brutally—attacked for her faith, her family, her church, things her pastor supposedly said, and so on. The Obama attack machine was in full bore on Sarah Palin from the moment she was introduced. And it worked. Let me put it this way. I would wager that Sarah Palin is better prepared today to be president than Barack Obama. And I would rather see her in the White House than him. I trust her judgment far more than I trust his. Naturally I think she has a bright future in national if she chooses to pursue it—which I hope she does. Ray
November 6, 2008, 9:43 AM Debbie says:
	I’m a Sarah Palin supporter as well. Also, like Pastor Ray, I think she is easily more qualified to be president than Sen. Obama. She has been attacked and caricatured and I think that is because of her Christian testimony...which is the way of the world towards all of us when we stand for Christ. I pray we do not shrink when we encounter various trials (and we will encounter those). Well, Gov. Palin’s time has not yet come; and, we pray for our new president and our country.
November 6, 2008, 9:54 AM FromDC says:
	“To me she got a bad rap from the media and was harshly—brutally—attacked for her faith, her family, her church, things her pastor supposedly said, and so on.” Funny, that’s kind of how I feel about the way Obama was treated. Yet, he withstood the attacks by addressing them head-on; albeit in a delayed fashion. Maybe what he said did not resonate with many people, but at least he addressed them. Perhaps if Palin were allowed to do the same many others would have seen in her the same as you, Pastor Ray.
November 6, 2008, 10:17 AM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	FromDC, Many, many people were very disappointed that Obama in fact did not answer direct questions about abortion and many other issues. He said the issue (of when life begins) was above his pay grade. Then he kept saying that he wants to make abortion rare, which is really a crass political talking point, because you cannot look at the freedom of choice act (described in my first post) and in any kind of objective way say that abortion will be made more rare in the Obama administration. And that is just what he will do on day one of his presidency. Thanks for the dialogue, FromDC. I’m not trying to be argumentative, but Obama and his surrogates were not as direct as you would lead us to believe. In fact, I would say that they managed to deceive a lot of people, based on the conversations I’ve had with many fellow Christians, who got head faked big time on this topic as well as a few others. Respectfully just trying to set the record straight.
November 6, 2008, 11:18 AM Ray Pritchard says:
	DC, you make a good point. The whole VP selection deal for McCain didn’t really go well. I mean the whole process that led up to the decision, the roll-out, and what came later. I think the fundamental mistake was not letting Sarah Palin do a lot of interviews from the very beginning. Start with friendly interviews—do local stations, do interviews with people likely to support her, give her time to get her answers in order before throwing her to Gibson and Couric. That part of the strategy never made sense to me. I wish she had done many, many interviews in the first few weeks. Would it have impacted the final outcome? No, but they could have avoided some of the negative press, I think. Ray
November 6, 2008, 11:25 AM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	I like Palin on a lot of levels too. I think she actually would have brought genuine reform to Washington D.C., which all Americans desperately want, even if they disagree with some of Palin’s policies. It takes a lot of courage to challenge the establishment in your own party, which Palin has done throughout her political career. She confronted corruption in the Republican party because she recognized that some of her own leaders were not holding true to transparency in government or to fiscal responsibility. We need more people like Palin in BOTH parties- men and women of courage and conviction who will speak out when people in their own party are wrong. I think this is a big part of the reason that people in her own party are now stabbing her in the back and trying to destroy her reputation.
November 6, 2008, 4:02 PM Raymond says:
	To paraphrase/quote what the late LBJ said: “I am the only President you have” or something along those lines. With Senator Obama as President elect we can only hope that his administration will be able to solve (or at least ameliorate) some of the terrible problems our nation has. Pray for him we must. We can all thank Ray Pritchard for having the guts to say in his article what few Christian ministers have the guts to say. I just discovered his site yesterday and I plan to make it my only “religious” site and stick with it like super glue.
November 6, 2008, 5:42 PM Patrick sullivan says:
British / Australian . Retired Pastor. Hospital Chaplain. Creator and Webmaster of www.jesuschristonly.com	Hi Ray. You where right, I am a little surprised at your statement of support for Sarah Palin. It has made me look again at the sources of information about her that we received in Australia....Yes we did see a lot of “send up” of her, and the fuss over her clothing bill was over the top. We where told in Aussie she was chosen by McCain to appeal to the Republican Base ( what ever that means? ) One thing I would like to say to all my American friends is this ( something you most likely know already). When you vote for a President and VP please remember that in reality you are voting on behalf of the whole world. I believe America is a nation raised up by God, I pray she will always be strong and live out her creed. In the increasing darkness she is a light in the window giving us hope. When I say ‘God Bless America’ I mean it with all my heart. Pat
November 6, 2008, 5:53 PM Derek says:
KBM Website Administrator	Thanks for your thoughts from down under, Patrick. We could really use prayer here in the states. Please pray for God to give us discernment in future elections, but even more than that, for renewed love for Christ, His bride and the Word. I can assure you that the media is presenting a very distorted view of things and it clouds even our thinking, more often that we would like to hope.
November 7, 2008, 3:43 PM Crystal says:
	Oregon’s Senate race was one of the close ones and after 2 days of counting the Democrat unseated the Republican in the seat. The Democrat favors ‘Freedom of Choice’. We must continue to pray for our country and that when the Senators and Representatives vote that they vote not for a party, but for or against the measures with hearts that are led by our One and Only God. For whoever is acknowledged as our leader(s), He is still in charge. Praise Him for that! I know people that have family in Alaska and they are very pleased with their Govenor. Possibly this was an introduction of Sarah Palin to the national stage for a future where she will become better known for who she really is and where she will have a role larger than just as ‘candidate’. God is in control!
November 12, 2008, 5:40 PM Becky says:
	I have often wondered that if my face were black, would I have refused to go to the back of the bus. Like you, I wouldn’t change the vote I cast in the presidential election, and my response to those who ask about my reaction is that God is still in control. I don’t have a clue as to what He may be up to, but it will be okay. It may be inconvenient, but He intends it for my good. He was worth of my trust on November 3 — and still is. I was looking forward to hearing you on AFR last Friday—and then forgot to tune in!!!