A Purpose Driven Prayer for the President Elect

Well, well, my favorite cup of now institutionally brewed coffee, Seattle's Best Henry's Blend, was slightly tainted by the news that the Human Rights Campaign, the largest homosexual rights group, sent a scathing letter to our President Elect for choosing Rick Warren as the inaugural invocator. I quote the HRC: "We feel a deep level of disrespect when one of the architects and promoters of an anti-gay agenda is given the prominence and the pulpit of your historic nomination." Architect Warren, it seems, doesn't draw any sympathy from the group for his and his wife's contributions to the Global AIDS issue here. But what I find most frustrating—and tainting to my morning coffee—is once again the flaw in the doctrine of what we now call tolerance in our country. Again I quote: "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table." Warren's stance against "gay marriage is a sign of intolerance." Are they saying that Warren's seat at an Obama table means that they no longer have a seat there? Or, and most likely, is it a statement: We aren't eating with that guy?

My fellow Americans, please wake up. To adopt a view of tolerance alone, merely leads one to a bankrupt application. The "tolerant" will never tolerate the intolerant. It makes much more sense for Warren, and our President Elect, to bring people together who can speak their minds even when they disagree. What we have here is a tipping of the hand by this particular group, which shows that they are not "liberal" at all. Followers of Jesus, those who view him as the perfect man, the ultimate relater (and he is much more than that!), know that they are flawed people—we are all flawed people—in need of life transformation from the inside out. It is therefore possible—even Christ-like—to adopt the mindset that we desire to please God—even when we do not, and we love others even when they do not. The doctrine of tolerance mandates that I embrace another's view as my own—even when it's not. That is neither safe nor sane. In this way of thinking, I cannot love or care for someone if I disagree with their worldview or lifestyle. From what I see of Jesus, he was not tolerant if that is the marker. If our soon to be President is sincere, and this is not just political posturing, his demonstration of an influential base of balance-- in this day and time—is encouraging. It's when the balance of power gets out of balance—even when I agree with where the skew is heading—that I am most frightened of authority. To me, the necessity of accountability for those in authority is as much an argument for the existence of a personal God as natural revelation itself. But that's another entry.