I wore my special patriotic stars and stripes T-shirt, I updated my status on Facebook with McCain/Palin cheers, I even baked chocolate chip cookies!!! And all for naught I suppose.
But do you know what? It’s OK. It’s OK to lose every once in a while, even if it means giving up the leadership of the country you love to a Democrat (Democrats, read ‘Democrat’ as ‘Republican’ or ‘President Bush’ or whatnot. You might understand how I feel then. :D) In spite of it all, I agree with what Dad says. I am not of this kingdom. If God chose Barack Obama to be my president, then that’s good enough for me. I just need to remember that there’s a divine plan underneath all the turmoil. Anyway if things get really bad, I can always count on being half Mexican. I’ll just hole up somewhere in rural Monterrey and wait for things to settle down. 🙂
On another note…
So there’s a little bucket of ‘wise’ and/or ‘witty’ quotes on the counter at the Y. You take one after you are done working out. Yesterday mine said something like:
“Tolerating other people’s principles is only possible if you have none of your own.”
I forget who said it. What does it mean?
Eric
This is a great post! (Unless Christian has started baking cookies, I’m guessing this is a Kelly post.)
Here’s how I read the quote. If one is truly principled then tolerance of others’ principles is not required, because you have your own foundation to stand upon.
On Monday evening, we had dinner with my cousin’s son. He is too young to vote, but an Obama fan. He’s also quite involved in sports and very competitive. It occurred to me that he was treating this presidential election like a sporting event in which his team or the opposing team would win. Don’t fall into this trap. Candidates compete, not voters.
My filling in a ballot was not to increase the probability that my team would win. For me, it was my taking a stand for what I believe. It was a private act of expressing my principle. These private acts of principle are then aggregated and further define our collective principles. You probably already intuitively understand this.
If it becomes a competition among voters, then it seems very important to us how others vote. I believe a whole lot of competition was manifested. Further, I believe we observed clinical conformity right out of the Asch model, especially among the coveted 18 to 25 age group. More on Solomon Asch and his studies at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments
http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/12/aschs-conformit.html
So, if I woke up this morning with a knot in my stomach, running to the nearest computer to see if my team won and was disappointed when it didn’t, then that reaction is a sure sign that I’m not REALLY leaving it in God’s hands. Just as I believed it was God’s will that those planes flew into the World Trade Center buildings (If we truly believe God is in control, then God could have forbade it), that we go into Iraq when there was no clear evidence of “whatever”; Then I must also believe Barak Obama as President is God’s will… God either wills it, or He allows it. In any case, Obama needs our prayers just as much as George Bush, Bill Clinton and others did during their administrations. Not only may our prayers help them and our nation, they may also help us have a right spirit toward Obama and his decisions.
But, most of all… Know thyself! Know your principles and live them. Don’t talk them; live them. Not the wishy-washy principles of elitism or “competitivism”, but the solid principles of God as clearly and eloquently expressed in His Son and His Creation.
Just a note from your cousin.
I am highly offended!
Neither Your Lovely Wife nor you are my friends!
Nope, Bryan Joyce actually beat Ken Chapman to the punch bowl!
I’m so disappointed how behind in the times you are!
I don’t have enough adjectives to express my sorrow right now.
WHAT???? WHAT??? Explain!?!! My story with Bryan is that I let him win the weight loss death match out of pity. If he beat me at something else, I REALLY need to know! Of course, giving offense to any of Merle’s clan brings immediate kudos from the rest of the extended family!!!
Great post Eric. We had a discussion last night when I got home from work discussing precisely the issues you addressed. I think you did it better. I thought of when Jesus was born. Of course the “President” of the day sent soldiers to kill all the children, yet it was in God’s plan. Think of the prophecy in Daniel of the 490 weeks. His plan will come to pass. We DO need to pray for Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and all our leaders.
The most interesting part of your comment to me was the part about conformity. Our family often discusses conformity. Probably both of our families, because we are homeschoolers, seem to be more actively non-conformist than most and it can be a new conformity. We have talked a lot about how important it is to know what it is we believe before we conform or do not conform to a certain belief, more, or mindset. It is awesome to be able to actively and volitionally educate our children about worldviews and how the impact the world’s thinking about things like politics, biology, morality, theology, and even sports and fame.
Mr. G,
You are absolutely right. I guess I haven’t been looking at the whole thing from the right perspective. I have been looking at it with a ‘win or lose’ point of view. And Obama does need our prayers, very much.
Thank you so much for your comment!!!! It gave me a lot to think about.
Hunter
John McCain is OLD man! Even though a lot of people might say that Obama is young and inexperianced,McCain could die any time now,and Palin is just as as young and inexperianced as Obama! Besides,she’s a woman ;)!
Nope he actually beat you on something else as well!
Hey Now, I come by my genetics innocently.
Soo have you figured it out yet?
I have NO idea other than that he married off his kids before me!
Trisha
Facebook!!!
That is like beating him to be the first guy grow hair on his back or to use Depends!!! Nah. I am a REAL internet guy with my own blog. It is like that loser thing he has going with Apple computers!
KEN!? I thought we were friends!? 🙂
I am shocked? You think you are a REAL internet guy and imply that I am not?
I subscribed to “The Source” with my 600 baud dial up modem, back in the day when you were still chasing… who/what/where ever! I worked at ComputerLand, selling PC’s before MicroSoft was! In 1984 When APPLE ignited the personal computer revolution with the Macintosh 128K, I was THERE! I’ve had my eBay account since 1997! And what’s the dig on the ‘own blog’ thing!?!? Excuse me! My first posting on my ‘own blog’ was January 14,2003, over a YEAR before your first posting of April 5, 2004! Can I help it if NO ONE reads my blog or even knows about it!? (don’t answer that!)
So there! Now I’m not really sure exactly what ‘punch bowl’ my dear friend {{{{Trisha}}}} is referring to, because I’m thinking back to a few that you certainly did beat me to! WOAH! and how do you get away with even bringing up hair growth!?
And then drag our kids in this too!? Sure… my son has been married for a couple years now, and my daughter was married JUST over a month ago, but see this picture! It is still possible that all your children will be married off before all mine are!
I demand an apology. 🙂 Pronto.
Man. I cannot believe that it would be you who would be punching me when I am down. After all these years. Do I have to remind you who is STILL the reigning TRS-80 Decathlon champion. Who was the first to write a BASIC program using punch tape and a 300 BAUD teletype in 1971??? Who was programming COBOL and FORTRAN on the old CDC 3300 in 1973??? Man you didn’t even get the TRS-80 until after I had been programming for YEARS!!! I have to admit that it WAS very cool to see that computer sitting on the floor in your apartment in Tigard. I think the reason I don’t like the Apples is because I got very little quality time on it when I was at your house because I was playing that crazy hand-held football game.
Actually, thinking about it clearly, I think we should blame all of this on Trisha for ripping open such old wounds!!
As for the kids, I looked at the picture and you certainly do have a beautiful daughter. If she is not married, it won’t be because she does not have any opportunities.
Trisha
I did not understand most of what Ya’ll said!
However, in this case He won!!
Well. The logic, concrete, winning argument I have is that you are BOTH losers!!!! See, I can remain objective.
Trisha
WOW! What an intelligent and well thought out argument.
However, you still lost : )
Trisha
I see your brilliant point. I can’t argue with the brilliance of your rhetoric and logical analysis!
Trisha
uh huh!
So we friends yet?
Was there every any doubt that we weren’t!?!! Shame on me.
I do not have the ability to be your friend in the way you want me to be (I do not have a facebook account)!