Not With My Bible, You Don’t!

Actor Jon Voight has called President Obama “the Messiah” and a “false prophet.”

What a load of crap.

I get so sick of right-wing nut jobs calling Obama these names. Not just because they are so wrong, but because they are trying to use the Bible to justify their hatred of the President.

I realize the Republicans are still upset over losing the White House and Congress. They have no one to blame but themselves. (Okay, they can blame Bush and Cheney. And Limbaugh. And maybe Sarah Palin, but to be fair, John McCain is to blame for her.)

What I don’t get is why they seem to think that Obama is this side of the anti-Christ and try to use the Bible to spew their venom.

Obama has been in office for less than six months. He’s been working hard to undo the messes it took 8 years of Republican “leadership” to create. As he himself has said, it’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be fixed overnight, but we have to start somewhere. He’s also said that if someone else has better ideas to bring to the table, he’s willing to listen.

So far, all I’ve heard from these blowhard “conservatives” is a load of hot air – and a lot of crap.

Still, with their disappointments and bitterness, I keep wondering why they’re using the Bible as their particular whipping board.

Then it hit me. It’s part of their history.

They used the Bible to justify slavery and the systematic destruction of non-European people in this country.

They used the Bible to justify lynchings and murders in the South.

They used the Bible to create the KKK and sustain segregation.

They use the Bible to create fear and divide our nation and our world.

They use the Bible to create an “us” vs. “them” mentality, vilifying other religions as “intolerant” without seeing the irony of their own intolerance.

Enough.

I’m calling out Jon Voight, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and all their ilk, right here, right now.

I don’t care what you think of Obama and the Democrats and gay marriage and abortion or any other issue. Use whatever words you choose: inexperienced, bull-headed, dumb, stupid, ignorant, intolerant, misguided – take your pick. I’ll put my Flip Dictionary up against your limited thesaurus any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

But you will no longer use my BIBLE – GOD’S HOLY WORD – as a way to denigrate my President or my nation. (Note to Sarah Palin: look it up, sweetie.)

Those of us who know who THE MESSIAH is know that Obama ain’t it. Nor is he a false prophet. According to the Bible, false prophets were those who led the people from God and his Word. Obama has never done that and in fact, has encouraged us to turn to our faith during this time of crisis.

So go on, spew your venom all you want. You just make yourselves look pettier and smaller than you already are.

Just leave my Bible out of it.

Stony the road we trod…

It’s not lost on me that yesterday, we celebrated the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and today we celebrate the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. There has been much discussed about the fulfilling of Dr. King’s dream, the election of the first African-American president, the ceremony and all the festivities. And there has been much coverage of all the celebrities and dignitaries that will be present. I know Oprah will be there, weeping on some stranger’s shoulder, Muhammad Ali will be there, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Beyonce, Denzel Washington and many, many more will be there.

But there will be other guests that will be there. They are the ones I will be watching for. When Barack stands and places his hand on the Lincoln Bible, he will be surrounded by his wife, daughters and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But they won’t be the only ones standing there.

Martin and Coretta will be there. Malcolm will be there. JFK and RFK will be there. Medgar will be there. Cheney, Goodman and Schwerner will be there. Emmitt will be there. Rosa will be there. Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, Phyllis Wheatley will be there. Frederick Douglas will be there. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley will be there. They and many others will be there, standing sentry, standing guard, heads high, hearts full, spirits proud.

They will be there and as Barack takes the oath, I will join with them in saying, “Yes, we did.”

Well whaddya know about that?

My son was discussing the presidential race with me and his father in the car last night. “If Barack Obama wins,” he said, “he has to do a really good speech and then he’ll be the champion!” (My son is 4.)

This morning, when he got up, I said, “Guess what? Barack Obama won the election and he did a really great speech.”

Matt said, “Yes!” He pumped his fist in the air. “I knew it! Barack Obama is the President of the United States! I said it in the car last night!”

Ah, the wonder and innocence of children.

As I watched my son sleep last night, I looked at my husband, who said, “I never thought I’d see this in my lifetime – a Black man is President!”

I kissed Matt’s head and I replied, “In our son’s lifetime, the first President he will know looks like him. And now, when we tell him he can be anything he wants – including President – he can see it for himself.”

I’m not naive enough to think that Obama’s election is the panacea for all that is wrong in America. Nor do I think that the issues of race in this country have been resolved – far from it.

But I am so grateful to see the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream – that one day, man would be judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

I am so grateful to see a first lady who has nappy hair (as my hubby declared). Okay, Michelle Obama doesn’t have nappy hair, but you know she never has to worry about squeezing in at the shop and getting a touch-up.

I am so glad to see a loving, intelligent, intact Black family moving into the White House and waiting to see them put their stamp on history.

And as much as I love Dennis Haysbert’s David Palmer on “24″ and Morgan Freeman’s Tom Beck in “Deep Impact”, how much more do I love Barack Obama starring as the 44th President of the United States in real life!

I confess, I didn’t think he’d run back in 2004. I didn’t think he’d run last year. I didn’t think he’d beat Hillary Clinton. And I sure as heck didn’t think he’d win the Presidency.

Well whaddya know about that?

No Matter What…

“What manner of man is this that winds may obey?

What manner of man is this that even the seas obey?

The Great One, for He created the heavens and the earth.

God can do just what He wants.”

- Ricky Dillard

When I woke up this morning, my first thought (after “I hate my alarm”) was this song. It’s been going through my head all morning. Our choir sang it on Sunday in a tribute to our pastor. I haven’t heard the song in years, but this morning, it’s going round and round in my head.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Because I am a person of faith. My pastor has been preaching for the past few weeks on being dependent on God. That idea is resonating with me, especially this morning. There’s nothing I can do to control what happens in the next few hours. So I’m done worrying about it.

If Obama wins, God is in control.

If McCain wins, God is in control.

Will I be disappointed if Obama doesn’t win? Of course – severely and bitterly. But I won’t worry about it. I won’t even pack up to move to Canada.

I am strangely calm today. And yet, I’m anxious – not about the election, but about the things that God is showing me for my life. It’s not even anxiety, but excitement. Like Obama, I’m fired up and ready to go! 

So, no matter what happens today, remember that God will do just what He wants; He’s in control.