A New Day Has Come

Folks, a new day has arrived for the United States of America. The people have spoken and Barack Obama, along with his running mate Joe Biden, has been elected to serve as the 44th President of the United States of America as the first African-American person in the nation's 232 years as a Federal Constitutional Republic.

In the history of the United Church of Canada we elected our first black Moderator Wilbur K. Howard for 1974-1977 and we can be eternally grateful that God had poured out a blessing upon us for that gift.

Many white people will not understand the significance of tonight's result, but when they see black folks, Asian folks, Hispanic folks, and white folks shedding tears, bellowing at the top of their lungs because Jesus Christ has broken a barrier in that nation they will know that God's reign has come near and that this is a sign of Christ's coming.

I don't think it is coincidence that the Christian season of Advent (in Latin adventus and in Greek parousia) is just weeks away. Advent is the time when Christians historically waited for the Coming of Christ (as in the return of Christ), and in recent centuries awaited the Coming of Christ, but also the Incarnation of Christ - two significant Comings of Our Lord.

The election of Barack Obama, the first African-American President-elect in the history of the United States of America is a sign that this is the year of God's favour.

Remember Jesus' mission statement according to the Gospel of Luke:

The Spirit of the Lord has come upon me
To bring Good News to the poor
Freedom to the captives
Recovery of sight to the blind
To let the oppressed be liberated
And to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour
(Luke 4:18-19)

Amen