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Speechless

Well, it’s over.
 
 
The two years of campaigning, fundraising, stumping, traveling, debating, convincing, incensing, history-making, registering, early-voting, counting, speculation, hoping-for-change or being-a-maverick, are over.
 
 
Some folks might be incredibly disappointed, or threatening to move (to where? I dunno. Fill in the country because I don’t know a better land to live in than this one). Others are elated that their candidate is the man who will be taking office, and they’re hopeful for the future.
 
 
How do I feel today? Euphoric and hopeful. This is a day I thought would never, ever

come in this country.
 
 
How do  I feel today? Conflicted. No one party represents me fully. I believe that life is precious – from unborn babies to latch-key kids who languish in low-income slums.
 
 
How do I feel today? Grateful for the Lord’s sovereignty.
 
Proverbs 21:1-3 says:
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water;
he turns it wherever he wants.
All of a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.
To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
 
I had a lot of eloquent words in mind for this day. But now…I’m hushed.

 

May God be glorified by who He he has chosen to place in power. May we be able to rest in God’s sovereignty.
 
 
 

Sharifa Stevens is a Manhattan-born, Bronx-raised child of the King, born to Jamaican immigrants, and currently living in Dallas. Sharifa's been singing since she was born. Her passion is to serve God's kingdom by leading His people in worship through music, speaking and writing, and relationships with people. Her heart is also unity, inspired by John. Sharifa hates exercise but likes Chipotle, bagels with a schmeer and lox, salmon sushi, chicken tikka, curried goat (yeah, it's good) with rice and peas, and chocolate lava cakes. She's been happily married to Jonathan since 2006...and he buys her Chipotle.

10 Comments

  • Gwynne Johnson

    One great thing…
    As a lover of America, I rejoice with Sharifa that perhaps Martin Luther King’s dream of a color blind society is nearer than we think.

  • Laura Murray

    Thank you
    Sharifa – thank you for your grace filled words that we need to be reminded of every day.

  • Heather A. Goodman

    Beautiful words. Our hope

    Beautiful words. Our hope is, has been, and always will be in God. I pray that even as I hope America (and Americans) serves and glorifies God, that even greater is the work of God’s kingdom.

    I’m glad it’s over. To be honest I’m tired of talking politics. 😉 So let’s get to our jobs of promoting justice, loving mercy, and walking obediently with God.

  • Terri Moore

    through the eyes of a child…

    It’s been interesting this time around to watch this election and my 6 yr old’s response to it. He’s been curious and has loved learning all about the concept of voting and how it all works. He could name the candidates and their running mates (though he calls our new president-elect Baram Obaka!) and he "voted" at school on Saturday. When he woke up this morning, he was excited to hear we had elected a new president–not worried about who won or lost and not even the least bit affected that a man with black skin won, because to him why wouldn’t a black man be president?

  • cAPSLOCK

    For the most part I align
    For the most part I align with the spoken ideals of conservatives. Individual responsibility, small government, free market capitalism and overall freedom are all concepts I feel the republican party has abandoned. To this extent they do not represent me. Yet, Obama’s party goes even further away from my values. Also I see abortion as the worst holocaust committed in the history of the world. I believe we are under judgment for this terrible sin.

    But not only would I never move because I am ideologically opposed to many of the President elect’s views but neither will I disrespect him for them while he is in office. I feel the childish hatred often vomited on President Bush over the last eight years has been more embarrassing to me than all the things the vomiters wanted me to be embarrassed for.

    Like you there are things in both parties which represent me and I celebrate the Christlike values of the left and hope, that within proper measure the left’s versions of mercy and justice can be guided by the hand of the Lord.

    I appreciate He has allowed this new time in our history.

    Most of all I am filled with joy that FINALLY my nation, which I love, has taken a gigantic step in the right direction by electing an african american President. I am filled with hope that this will inspire black americans, bring healing for the grievous sin of slavery and I believe this is powerful proof that we are less racist than some would have us believe.

    Aside from some shaky nerves in regards to the new presidents politics… I am extremely excited.

  • Jennifer Kliewer

    Not This One
    Sharifa,

    I agree that, considering the racial history of the United States, it is amazing to see an African-American elected as our President. But as Christians, I think we should be very sad that it is this particular African-American. I understand that the element of skin color was a new part of our choice in this election, one that we have not had in the past. Yet, like past elections, I would hold that it is the character, the record, and the positions of the candidate that truly matter, not what they look like or where they come from.

    In this election, I have often heard the terms “one-issue voter,” and “Religious Right”. It seems that abortion is no longer a “cool” issue for Christians. As one of many Christians that have prioritized abortion, but still have thoughtful positions on every issue, it has been heartbreaking for me to see Christians shamed by these terms. The mass murder of unborn babies *is* a holocaust, one that Christians are now seemingly desensitized to, as many Christians were to Slavery and to the Holocaust in Germany.

    The past several years have seen the emergence of the Emergent Church and books like “The Irresistible Revolution” from the guy who started The Simple Way (in my Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia). I firmly believe that this movement is based on the false gospel of liberation theology, and has given many Christians a justification to move to liberalism with the likes of Hollywood, most of unsaved America, and the rest of the “world”.

    Helping the poor of the world is something that we do have a mandate to do, but that mandate is for the Church and not the Government. In this election year, my one-year tithe was greater than Joe Biden’s ten year giving, yet he and his want to direct everyone’s money to every “charity” that they deem right. If any of that money does make it to charities – and much (most?) of it won’t – trust me, they won’t be Christian or bring the truth of the Gospel with them in any way.

    Here in my Kensington neighborhood of Philly, one of the worst in the country for crime and poverty, we have exposed the lie that “one party cares about and helps the people here and the other one doesn’t”. We see that the more the people are given here, the worse off they are. And the more they are given, the more their votes are ensured. Ask the people here if they like the money – yes! Ask them if they are in any way being helped out of poverty – NO. And healthcare – that’s always been free, they would say, as is housing and food. Abortion destroys one out of every two babies in Philadelphia, and the women who have the abortions along with it. But the Democratic party really cares about the poor of the inner-city. Really?

    I walk past completely able-bodied citizens sitting on their front stoop hour after hour, day after day. The only thing that is helping these people is being introduced to Jesus Christ, being discipled in His Word, and being taught principles like, “If a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat.” Yes, the education system is awful here – the teachers union ensures that – but the uneducated can still work, and part of our discipleship includes helping both the older and younger Christians with their education so that they can get better jobs.

    I truly believe that Christians have been duped by the false gospel of liberation theology and by the lie that one party truly cares about or helps the poor. I believe that Christians have been shamed by those who would downplay the mass murder of the unborn as anything less than a holocaust – 50 million and counting, and about to get much worse if Barack Obama passes the Freedom of Choice Act. He has said the “first thing I’d do as President” is sign this act, which will make abortion a federally guaranteed “fundamental right” through all nine-months of pregnancy, and bring back partial birth abortion, as well as eliminate all laws that have restricted abortion in any way over the last 35 years.

    This is not the only position of Barack Obama which concerns – alarms – me. But is is the one which most disgusts me. I *will* trust him to the Lord, I *will* trust that God is in control and that His ways are not my ways, and I *will* pray for our new President every single day. But I cannot rejoice at all that this man has been elected – no matter what his skin color is.

  • Gail Seidel

    Sovereignty Trumps
    Sharifa, thank you for your heart and perspective…and clear honoring
    of God’s sovereignty in all things especially in choices of leaders. I
    rejoice in your joy and applaud your reminder of who is really in
    charge. May we be bold and gracious and together reflect Him to the
    many who are without Him and without hope.You are right- He will write
    the last chapter.

  • Nicola

    VOTING YOUR CONSCIENCE
    Historical or not – I proudly voted for Alan Keyes.
    I was excited about Obama, but after researching and informing myself about his policy on abortion/gay rights/ and other anti-christian policies, I could not vote for him and obey my conscience.

    Having an intelligent Black candidate and president-elect is good enough but good-enough is never God’s best for his people.

    Actually, I heard a plethora of people say, Obama is the people’s choice. They are correct. He is the people choice and remember what happened in the Old Testament with Saul, the people’s choice.

  • Julie Cramer

    Common Ground We Ought to Agree On
    Still in awe over last week. It was OUR night as a nation, no matter who you voted for. It was the first time I have felt the American spirit for myself. I’d heard about it from times in the past when the whole nation pulled together … but this is perhaps the first time I felt it in the absence of a national disaster like 9-11 or Katrina. It was purely for hope and purely for the voiceless. I am proud of us … and I am proud that on an international stage we could show the world what we’re made of. Some may believe that the votes came primarily from blacks. In actuality the same number of African-American voters turned out as in previous elections. Whites as well as Latinos and a host of other ethnicities helped elect a president who reflects hope. Obama’s stand on abortion has many evangelicals appalled that a Chrisitan could ever vote him into office. Obama is not PRO abortion, but, yes, he is pro-choice. Candidates are imperfect and we have to consider the whole set of skills and values. I can work with a president who quotes Micah 6:8 as a guiding force in his life. I caution Christians in the way we speak to one another about topics such as abortion. I find that we are often more caustic (and un-Christlike) than many of my friends who are atheists. I find Obama’s emphasis on hope an open door to talk to my friends about another man who came into the world with the same radical message.

  • Shannon

    Praying for our president-elect
    Sharifa, thanks for this powerful reminder – I, too, am so thankful for the Lord’s sovereignty in this – in everything! Knowing that He holds "the heart of the king" in His almighty hand brings such peace, even security, knowing that, as Christians, our identity isn’t defined by our classification as "red" or "blue," but that it’s in our status as "beloved children."
    The moment I heard that Obama was our president-elect, I immediately began praying earnestly for him, and for his family, for their safety, for their decisions in months to come. I Timothy 2 specifically directs us toward this:
    1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
    Thank you again!