A TEAM OF RIVALS

          Having ended a protracted (some 500 days) and quite rancorous election campaign, our country has chosen our 45^th president.  Some are happy; others are discontented; many are nervous about the future; and most are just glad it’s finally over.  Despite the “heat” of the season, it might help somewhat to realize that our nation has endured many similar tests.  The noted historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has written that in 1860, “when Lincoln won the nomination, each of his celebrated rivals believed the wrong man had been chosen.”  She cites Ralph Waldo Emerson’s recollection of his first reception of the news that the “comparatively unknown name of Lincoln” had been selected:  we heard the result coldly and sadly.  Now, some seven score and sixteen years removed from that anxiety-filled transition, most view our 16^th President, Abraham Lincoln, to be one of our nation’s very best and most beloved.

          Writing in a first century culture wherein Christians were “distressed by various trials” (1Pet.1:6), the apostles Peter and Paul offer some inspired and inspiring words.  Peter urges,  “honor all men; love the brotherhood; fear God, honor the king” (1Pet.2:17).  Paul sounds a common cord saying:  “…I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1Tim.2:1-2). 

As Christians we are called upon to put aside our partisanship and bickering and engage in PRAYING FOR OUR LEADERS.

          Perhaps one thing we can all agree upon is that we need to pray for a spirit of cooperation among those governing our nation.

As Doris Kearns Goodwin details in her eye-opening book, Team Of Rivals, Abraham Lincoln excelled at “reaching across the aisle”.

Knowing that “righteousness exalts a nation” (Prov.14:34), we should also pray for our leaders to make good and wise choices.  In the long run, a spirit of cooperation will do us little good if our leaders hammer out unholy alliances filled with ungodly decisions. 

As one recent candidate stated often, “America is great because America is good”.  The challenge before our nation is to determine “what is good?”.  Herein lies the rub:  what is good?  Living In a pluralistic society, how do we unite on what is good?  While none of us has all the answers and all of us could stand to embrace the value and importance of building strength from “a team of rivals”, we must also acknowledge that it is never a good thing to make God our rival.