OBAMA PICKS THE WRONG TEAM

Barack Obama has picked University of North Carolina to win the NCAA basketball championship and that, for me, is the most important aspect of this campaign and Election 2008. It raises a very important question, who really picked the UNC team- was it Obama of his advisor on Sports issues? Even more important, why did he not pick Pittsburgh or University of Connecticut, my own emotional favorites?

For this reason alone, Obama is not getting my imaginary vote and before you accuse me of being a nutcase, I would have you know that my reason for not voting for Obama (if I had a vote) is as good as many other reasons circulating in the Christian blogosphere. Now, being a neutral party and not actually having a dog in this election race has allowed me some pretend detachment and also granted self-affirmed objectivity to my opinions.

A few days ago, Obama made what has been called the speech of his life so far and that is about as far as it goes because majority of those with their minds made up stand unmoved. His supporters, as well as many fair-minded but declared non-supporters agree that the speech was outstanding in content and delivery. Others have however focused on what he said about his grandmother, and still others say that he did not disown his former Pastor enough.

The speech also afforded an opportunity to one prominent Christian blogger to inform or remind us that when you hear a good speech full of great ideas and inspiring thought, look beyond the speaker to the speech writer . The content of the speech, it would appear, is not as important as the who actually penned it.
Well, I guess that is something worth remembering. It is akin to hearing a good sermon which touches your heart and soul and causes you to make drastic changes in your behaviour. When this happens you should look beyond the preacher, a mere messenger, to the actual author of the sermon, the Holy Spirit of God. We preach not ourselves, but Christ crucified, said the Apostle Paul. What else can I say?

That is the only spin I can put on this matter because this blogger is a fine Christian writer and commentator. Maybe, mixing one’s politics and the Christian faith can work in strange ways. Not to say it cannot or should not be done but I take on a great responsibility when I label any foray I have into politics on this blog as the or even a Christian perspective. Woe is me if I allow the unsanctified old nature to play tricks on my reasoning and in the process I cause any offence to the cross of Christ. It is Easter week.

Having said all the above, here is my personal opinion. It reflects my own flawed thinking alone; not that of my wife, children, my employer, my co-bloggers or my cat. Here it is; Obama gave a great speech and I wish I could have written it. Who cares if it was written by an Alien from the former planet of Pluto? Is that the best a Christian writer can do with the content of Obama's speech; that it was not written by him but by one of his speechwriters?

Near the end of the piece linked to, the following verse is quoted
But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Corinthians 4:2)

I will do well to look carefully into my own heart to see how often I try to use cunning and underhand ways to make my valid and often invalid points. Good thing we have only nine new readers a year on this blog, isn’t it? The University of Connecticut is already out of the basketball championships, upset by San Diego by a single point on Good Friday. Come on Pittsburgh, let us prove Obama wrong. - Robbo