Providence?

The old hymn reminds us that God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. Isaiah the Prophet reminds us that God's ways are not our ways. The magnificent black preacher Gardner Taylor once commented that God had used the Second World War to prepare the black community for the Civil Rights movement. He argued that the government had taken thousands of black young men and trained them. The government had sent them to foreign lands where they could and experience all kinds of different things. The government had put them in leadership roles in the army. The government had paid for their education upon return. As a result the black community had a great body of black leadership ready to step forward in the Civil Rights movement. Dr. Taylor's faith perspective gave credit to the moving hand of God's providence in that history.

With the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States, one might suggest that the Providence of God was at work in this country over the last eight years preparing us for this incredible moment. I am one of those who had come to the place where I did not care who the Republican nominee was, I was going to vote for the Democrat because the Republican Party in power for six years had ruined our country. They had abandoned their own principles. They had arrogance in their power. They had irresponsibility in their leadership. They seemed to be concerned only about the prosperity of the rich. There are many observers who suggest that I am not alone. That there were many people who had come to the place where they recognized that the party in power needed to be removed. That those six years of suffering as a nation prepared us for a major change and into that opportunity Obama came. It is a major and dramatic change that has already happened in his election. There is a new reality that cannot be reversed. It has happened.

Like Dr. Taylor from my faith perspective I celebrate that Providence of God at work in our history to bring us to this point and to give us this new beginning and this new reality. There is an old affirmation that God can make a way where there is no way. There were many who said that the election of a minority candidate for President of this country was a "no way, jose." I rejoice in my faith perspective that celebrates that God has made a way. Perhaps that is part of cross and resurrection of God, that we had the cross of the pain and suffering as a people to prepare for this day of new life? It is my reading of the Bible that it is how God works to bring about new creations. So rejoice. This is the day that the Lord has brought.