the tindog coffeehouse

OK, maybe not entirely meaningless. Certainly, every election — particularly a presidential election — is important, and Obama’s victory will have repercussions that will only be truly understood with the hindsight of history.

But as I watched the election coverage Tuesday night, I realized how truly lost so many of Obama’s supporters really are and how insignificant this election is to us as Christians. The themes of Obama’s campaign were “Hope” and “Change”, and he was portrayed as some sort of Messiah who would somehow fix everything. His stance on the issues was irrelevant. His past didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he offered what so many people craved: hope. Even if there was little to no substance behind the slogans.

But Barack Obama is not the Messiah, and as Christians we understand that real hope doesn’t come from a politician. Real change — eternal change — doesn’t come from a political party or a presidential election. It can only come from the grace of God through the death and resurrection of His Son.

And so regardless of the outcome of this election or any other, our mission is the same as it has been for 2000 years: to share the good news of “hope” and “change” that can only be found through Jesus Christ.

Am I disappointed in the outcome of the election? Sure. But unlike so many of the people on TV the other night, I don’t put my faith in a presidential candidate. My faith lies in the One who has already won.