The President, well, he is a Great Man.

If you clicked on this blog because you are one of those people that feed off of political controversy, you will be disappointed.  However, read on.  This one is for the Americans.
 
I’ve been hearing a lot about the election lately.  Actually I’ve been hearing about the election for over a year.  We Iowans get slammed with election coverage and candidate promotions starting about 11 months before anyone goes to the voting booths.
 
I love that Americans can vote.  I love that we can have free elections.  I love that there are no political parties that threaten to kill their opposition.  I love that citizens of every race, religion, gender, and background can vote.
 
You know, a lot of countries don’t have that.
 
I hate that Americans slam people they don’t like.  I hate the online fights over presidents.  I hate the political commercials that rag on the opposite candidate.  I hate the complaining, the narcissism, the fact that everyone has an opinion about everything.  I hate the division that comes this time every four years.
 
In Thailand, you don’t say anything bad about the king.  No matter what.  You simply say, “The king, he is a great man.”
 
The first time I heard this, I thought it was pathetic.  I thought it was ridiculous that a country’s people can’t even comment on their own leader.  I thought that their government can’t really be that good if you are obliged to agree with the king.
 
One of our alumni squad leaders, the awesome Mac Mitchell, brought up an amazing point at our four month debrief, six months ago.
 
It went something like this:
 
What if we spoke greatness over our president?  What if, in hard times and easy times, we said, “He is a great man.”  Wouldn’t it be easier for anyone to do their job if they were constantly encouraged?  Wouldn’t it be hard to do your job if over half of your employees constantly told you “You suck”?
 
I am reminded of how people encourage racers in sports-
 
“You can do it!  You got him! You’re doing great!  Keep going, don’t give up!”
 
On this race, I have messed up.  I have been lazy, selfish, and grumpy.  But I have also been enthusiastic, joyful, encouraging, loving, and faithful.
 
I have been encouraged. I have people here and at home that regularly speak life over me, pray for me, and speak encouragement words and love over me.  But what if they sounded more like this?
 
“Remember that time in Kenya when you complained because you didn’t have running water while you were simultaneously working with kids who didn’t have enough food? Yeah, you’re an ungrateful wretch.”
 
“You allowed your teammates to spend team money on coffee and snacks when you could have given that money to girls who were saved from the sex trade? Pathetic.”
 
“You really got mad over something trivial when that person saw you at your worst and still loved you through it without blinking an eye?  You don’t even deserve to know her.”
 
These comments are harsh, but these are the sort of things I have see on Facebook, in news article comments, and on TV with news anchor debates.  This is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they instilled freedom of speech.  I’m sure of it. 
 
To be honest, I dread coming back to that mindset.  My heart hurts when I see all the online commentary of Americans ripping one another apart.  I don’t want to be associated with those people.  I want to be associated with the doers, not the talkers.  The world is watching America right now.  I know this, I’m out here.  I dream of coming back to a country where people are unified despite differences, and Christians act like Christians, worthy of representing the Savior of the world.
 
Whoever you vote for, or if you don’t vote at all, that’s not the point.  There is going to be a man leading our country.  Maybe his name is Barack Obama, maybe his name is Mitt Romney.  I don’t know.  I hope that you respect him.  I hope that you honor him with your words.  I hope that you become educated on issues you are passionate about and find a beneficial way to channel your concerns about those issues.  I hope you positively speak into existence the things you wish to see our President do.  I hope you pray for our leaders.  Most of all, I hope you remember that if you are a Christian, your American citizenship doesn’t come close to your citizenship of heaven.  And God, he will always be President there.
 

 
 
PS Please please please don’t write your political opinions on the comments of this blog.  Thank you. 🙂