Filed under: Finding God in the Ordinary | Tags: church, faith, Israel, politics, prayer, travel
I found out this week there’s a possibility that I’ll be able to go to Israel next March. By then, one of the men pictured below at the wailing wall in Jerusalem will most likely be our new president. They both claim to be Christians. Does that mean they are truly following Jesus with their whole life, or is it just a box they marked off at some point to identify their religious views?
We may get a glimpse into what’s really happening in their hearts on August 16 when they’ll be at Saddleback Church. In their first joint appearance of this escalating campaign season, Rick Warren will interview each of them separately according to this article from CNN. I can’t wait.
Then I was reading an article in the Times this morning that Obama’s prayer, written on stationary from the King David Hotel and placed in the Wailing Wall, was snagged by some student and given (probably sold) to one of the Israeli papers. I’m not sure about the ethics of it all, but the prayer is beautifully and simply written. Each word seems so perfectly placed and packed with significance. It seems heartfelt and sincere. But, I think only Obama and God know that for sure.
If every leader in the world would honestly seek after God and make this their prayer – I think the world would undoubtedly become a better place.
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Who are we to doubt or judge?
Comment by draabe July 26, 2008 @ 6:54 pmThat’s an interesting point. I think only God can judge the intent of anyone’s heart. Like I said, it’s between them and God.
I have to admit though that I do have a bit of natural curiosity built in when it comes to people’s motives behind anything, especially when they’re working so hard to present the best version of themselves for everyone else to observe. They’re the ones putting themselves out there setting up photo ops and presenting carefully crafted talking points so that we can make informed decisions about both their policy and their character.
I truly do hope that both McCain and Obama are 100% genuine and would never play to the crowd in any situation. I wish we could assume that every politician is exactly who they say they are, but can we?
Comment by Trevor Behrns July 26, 2008 @ 9:45 pmWho are we to judge or doubt? Well, no one and everyone. We can not “terminally” judge and can not determine the state of anyone’s soul. But then to get around down here we certainly have to discern and decide. Obama is sincere, but he is young and he was by far the one at the Rick Warren interviews to make stuff up, not out of malice but out of just having to find SOMETHING to say to the hard questions. McCain I thought was plain and sincere, and much more candid, though of course he is also much older and at ease with himself. I heard one commentator on TV afterwards who said found McCain’s answers “canned”. I found them honest and plain without apologetic dressing. And for such deep questions, maybe some people want the answers to twist and turn more. I don’t, and I REALLY want a mature, sincere, and well most age-weathered-humbled-before-God McCain in the Whitehouse.
Comment by James August 17, 2008 @ 3:39 am