mock the vote?

Early this morning I made my way to the location allocated to receive my vote. I considered it a landmark occasion, not because there are so many important people and issues up for consideration, but because I'm afforded the right, the responsibility of the vote.


I grumbled under my breath at what I considered to be poor marking to find the voting area, thinking how it might have been made better. I then discovered that I was listed as a mail-in ballot person, which would have been fine except that I never received any ballot by mail.  There was a provision for that, but it was quickly obvious that the workers were unfamiliar with the process. Heck, it was early and they were volunteers, and I grumbled a little more.


I cast my ballot (computerized now- cool), turned in some paperwork (part of that special provision), pasted my sticker proudly on my chest and beat a hasty retreat to the rest of my day. Pretty simple, pretty straightforward, pretty easy. But then I thought of people in countries like the Philippines who are willing to risk their lives for the vote. During our years there, school teachers were usually required to stand guard over local ballot boxes.  Often, because of violence and corruption, those teachers gave their lives to protect the votes.  In some countries, goons wait outside voting areas, seeking to intimidate, injure or even kill those who come to vote. And in far too many countries voting is not even an option. Hmmm, why had I been grumbling again?


I'm concerned that we too easily assume that our vote means nothing, or that the hassle somehow isn't worth our time or effort. I can't believe that those who risk or give their lives for this privilege would find our excuses compelling. I hope you made time to exercise your responsibility. And if you didn't (for whatever reason) that you'll commit now to do it next time. Really. If not for your voice to be heard, then because you'll remember that someone somewhere in this world wishes he had it as good as you when he steps into that voting booth. Or that she's willing to take a chance with her life because the ability to vote is as precious as life itself.

And she probably doesn't even grumble.

shaking the etch-a-sketch

Remember this device (or do you even know what it is?!)? It's an Etch-a-Sketch, a great toy from the 60's that allows you to sketch a picture using knobs that direct a stylus across a field of aluminum powder and plastic beads. The cool part is that when you are finished with what kinda looks like the picture you were imagining (really, how good were you with this thing anyway?!) you simply turn the surface upside down and shake, the picture is erased and you begin again. Ah, the memories...

Whenever we have a national election, there is a sort of Etch-a-Sketch phenomenon that seems to overtake us. Regardless of what has taken place the last four years, or even during the campaign period, we grant ourselves permission to "shake the Etch-a-Sketch" and try again. This year it's no different. Obama's election marks a shift, a shaking of our culture in a number of ways. And idealists, optimists, and hopefulists (I know it's not a word, but I like it) envision the days ahead with a new, better picture drawn. At least better in their eyes, and hopefully in the eyes of most. Whether our newest artist to hold the national Etch-a-Sketch is any better at drawing a picture than what has been produced so far this century remains to be seen.

In a time of cautious optimism and certain uncertainty, there are two items that stand out for me. First, I'm prouder of my country today because of its maturity to see beyond the color of a person's skin in choosing its next leader. I know there are differing opinions of the character and competency of the candidate chosen (isn't that almost always the case?). But it's important to recognize the fact that, given our history and struggle with race, a choice was made that has caught the attention of the world and has prompted them consider that maybe, just maybe, the qualities we say exist here really do.

The other item that stands out to me is that, as a person of faith, I am now expected (by the dictates of that faith) to respect, honor and pray for my new president. I may or may not like him, may or may not have voted for him, may or may not agree with him, but the Scriptures tell me that I have a responsibility toward him (you can check out passages like Roman 13:7, Titus 3:1-2, and 1 Peter 2:13-17). And if you also are a person of faith, that same responsibility is yours as well.

So regardless of our position, stance or opinion, we all have a role in helping draw a new picture for our future. Will we draw it perfectly, just the way we like? Probably not- we rarely do. But if not, at least we can hope to shake it at some point and try again. After all, practice makes perfect...or at least, better.