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.

if i were a rich man...

A few weeks ago, when Obama and McCain spoke at Saddleback Church, they were asked about increased taxation for those who were "rich." Of course, the first issue to be settled was how much it takes to be considered rich. Obama mentioned a yearly income of $150,000 as a defining marker (I think he has since upped the amount to $250,000), and McCain jokingly tossed out $5 million as his figure, saying he didn't want to base tax increases simply on personal income.

Political rhetoric, yeah. But I was waiting for the real answer, the answer that most all of us think of when considering what qualifies someone as being rich. It's simple: rich is the guy who has more than me. Because no matter how much I make, I'm just getting by. Therefore, it's the person making more than me who is rich. Told you it's simple.

But what if you and I compare ourselves with another group? Not with those in the high rent districts, but with those living in the rest of the world. If I consider my income and possessions alongside the majority of people on this earth, I quickly realize that I'm the one who is wealthy. I'm the rich person. And so are you. I have scandalously more than most will dare dream of. Ever. And so do you. I've been frivolous with more than most will ever see. And likely, so have you.

But what's that mean in the scope of life's bigger picture? Probably a lot, but for now, at least this: when Jesus talks about riches and rich people, and the issues they face in relation to his kingdom, he's talking about me. To me. And to you. When he says that a camel would have an easier time squeezing through a needle's eye than a rich man making it to heaven, I know that I qualify as that rich man. I don't want to, but I do. Ouch.

Makes me think again about what I have and what I do with it. After all, if it all comes from God, belongs to God, and is to be used for God, it's never mine to begin with. I'm simply supposed to manage it well. Use it wisely. And make the most of it. They say that with great blessing comes great responsibility. You and I are greatly blessed. If you'd go with me to the slums of Nairobi, the streets of India, the hillsides of southeast Asia, or the squalor of Mexico City you'd see it. You'd understand. Maybe you have and you do. I have, and I don't like what I see. Around me. And within me. But I'm rich, and I'm called to figure out what to do about it.

And so are you.