Can he live up to it?
So Barak Obama is the new president elect. Joyful scenes all over America have been on our screens as people welcome the change they seek. I have to admit that I find his difference, in age as well as background, an engaging prospect. But I found myself feeling a little sad on his behalf as I listened to his victory speech. However good his presidency is, and I hope for him and all of America that it’s outstanding, there are bound to be some people who will be disappointed. Their excitement is so high, they are so appalled at what they see their country becoming, that they probably expect the impossible. And he is only a man, however talented he is. I hope he isn’t overwhelmed by their expectations, or finds himself forced to compromise so much that he can’t achieve the goals he has for his country.
That’s often our fate, isn’t it? Even with simple things like dieting or cutting back spending. We want to achieve so much, and then it all falls to pieces. Sometimes we’re so fed up of that routine, we become cynical and don’t even try, expecting failure before we ever start. So how can we avoid that? What can help us to get a clear picture of the problem, and more important, what we can do about it? We need some kind of measure, something to tell us when we’re on the right track. A compass for direction, or maybe a plumb-line to show us which things are wonky and which are true vertical.
It’s quite a claim, but Jesus said he was the Truth. Not a truth, but the Truth. That we could measure things up against him and see if they were honest or good or pure. And I don’t think he just meant whether things ticked the right boxes, but if they were genuine or had integrity.
From washing powders to political leaders, we need to know if we can put our trust in things. Sometimes we only find out by trial and error. Jesus showed us he could be trusted, he did go through the trial. He stuck to his word and faced death, rather than back out of his manifesto. I haven’t found anyone better than that. How about you?
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