Exodus 33:15

As we enter into this new era of American politics, it is clear that hope in some is mingled with anxiety & fear in others. This dividing line is seen almost as starkly in the Church as it is among party lines.

I'd like to share an open letter to President-elect Obama by my pastor back home in Columbus, Rich Nathan (though I know many of you have already read it...likely on Facebook). It is a very gracious letter while at the same time calling President Obama into a Christ-like model of leadership.

His encouragement to the future President, as well as reminder to us who are followers of Jesus, that "whithout God's help we cannot succeed," and "with God's help we cannot fail," should be written on our hearts...no matter who holds the highest office of our nation.

It reminds me of the beautiful passage in Exodus, when Moses pleads with God: "If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here..." Let that prayer unite us, Christians. Let's place our hopes squarely on the throne of Jesus, and lay our fears at his feat.

President Obama, on behalf of the Vineyard Church of Columbus, I offer our sincerest congratulations and encouragement as you assume the awesome task of providing leadership for our country and our world. As a Jewish-Christian pastor of a congregation that includes blacks and whites, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans, the able-bodied and the disabled, old and young, rich and poor, Republican and Democrat, we come together now to support you as our president. We pledge to pray for you. Without God’s help we cannot succeed; with God’s help we cannot fail.

The greatness of our nation will continue to be measured by our treatment of the least and the last. In our country the least and the last surely include the unborn and their mothers, immigrants, the medically uninsured, and those who still go to bed hungry in this land of abundance. Our congregation urges you to fulfill your commitment to reduce the number of abortions in our nation. Around the world, America is our brothers’ keeper of those suffering in the Darfur and the Congo. Please work on behalf of those enslaved by global sex trafficking, the billion people who live on less than $2 a day, and those who are the victims of religious persecution. As you lead, remember Jesus’ words: “As you have done to the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.”

America has an extraordinary capacity to reinvent herself, rarely more so than in this election. We remain the screen upon which the world projects its greatest hopes and its most noble aspirations. Live a life worthy of our hopes. Be a reconciler. Be a peacemaker. May God bless you and your family. And may America bless God and the world.

As we continue to pursue the Kingdom of God and his righteousness in our nation and abroad, we should all commit - with Rich - to pray blessing on the President and his family, no matter our political affiliation or ideology.

St. Martin's Day

On a much lighter note, tomorrow is St. Martin's day! Time to make your paper lantern and go from door to door singing songs and collecting candy...oh wait, we don't do that in the States. Did you even know there was such a thing as St. Martin's day? Did you even know there was a Saint called Martin? There is so much I have missed out on in life because a) I'm American and b) I'm not Catholic. But now as an American Protestant living in Amsterdam I get to enjoy it all!

Love from across the Sea,
John

President v Prime Minister

If you haven't heard by now, the entire WORLD was very interested in the little event that took place this past Tuesday in the States that we like to call the Presidential election. Gor the past couple of weeks, when folks here in Amsterdam find out we are American, that is all they have wanted to talk about.

Not only are they interested because the results would inevitably have a global impact, but also (I think) because the system works so much differently here in the Netherlands. They are intrigued by the campaign process & how much money is spent along the way. The are intrigued by the electoral system. They are also intrigued because, well, they don't vote for a president here.

The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy (i.e. they have a queen, citizens have rights based upon a constitution, and they vote for a representational parliament). Allow me to be technical for a moment or two. The Dutch vote for their parliament based upon a "proportional representation" system...and they vote for parties, not candidates. So hypothetically, if one party got 80% of the votes, they get 80 members of parliament, 10% would get 10 members of parliament, and so on. This is overly simplified of the actual system, but that is the basic idea.

To the point. The Dutch only indirectly elect their Prime Minister. The party which receives the most seats in Parliament (based on elections) is given the power to form a coalition government with two other parties. And the leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister once the government is formed. The current Prime Minister of the Netherlands is Jan Peter Balkenende of the Christian Democratic party.

We elect our President through the system of the electoral college...which is only slightly less indirect. At least we have the illusion of voting for a person when we're really just voting for a vote. I leave it to you to decide which system is better.

So there you go. Your cultural lesson for the day. I suppose, of course that there are a few other differences between the US President and the Netherlands Prime Minister besides the election process (for example, a Dutchman I chatted with yesterday said that ours is "basically the President of the world," not just the States), but those are just details.

Until next time,
John