My position.

Life is truly a wonder. It’s this incredible odyssey of experiences and encounters that uniquely build upon the next to shape who we do or don’t become, and what we do or don’t believe. In my short 27-year life experience, I have been blessed to meet and build relationships with some of the most genuine people on the face of the earth; from homeless teens and lesbian bikers, to art-loving CEO’s and overpaid professional athletes. Interestingly enough, this season of my life has been filled with a unique blend of stunning excitement, crushing frustrations, humbling mistakes, exceeding joys, startling revelations, and great uncertainties. One of those uncertainties is the inescapable reality of the times and the season in which we as Americans are presently living.

As if there weren’t already enough dissertations, theologies, blogs, and commentaries to thoroughly confuse even the most versed political scientist, let me first qualify what you’re about to read on this blog by sharing with you that I am not and have never been a political junkie. Like most Americans before this election cycle, I have historically distanced the topic from my mind, will, emotions, and (most especially) my conversations, at all costs! However, I recently participated on Youtube in taking a very bold, unpopular, and controversial position in regards to the upcoming 2008 Presidential elections. This stance has been met with an intriguing mix of vehement opposition, thoughtful dissent, curious questioning, and solid support. This prompted me to ponder and articulate my response to a question posed by a dear pastor friend of mine…one that every Christian will inevitably be forced to answer on November 4th: “Can a Christian vote for Barack Obama.”

For some of you, the reading stops now. You’ve already settled quite concretely upon the candidate that you hope to celebrate with while watching the inauguration. You’ve prayed, pondered, reasoned, and reconciled any potential arguments or inward conflicts with the moral, spiritual, cultural, and political compass that directs all of your decisions. But for others, there is still an unsettling amount of indecision. You’ve prayed, pondered, reasoned, and tried to reconcile arguments and inward conflicts with the moral, spiritual, cultural, and political compass that directs all of your decisions…only to find yourself more perturbed than when you began! It is for this reason that I am publicly sharing which way I will vote in the 2008 Presidential election.

I do not write this in the assumption that my position will move you to choose as I have chosen, but rather in the hope that the written articulation of my conviction, may help give language to and resonate with what you too may be feeling, but cannot explain. There are an astounding number of ways that I could approach this highly sensitive and emotional moment, but let me start by clarifying the fact that I am not a Republican, Democrat, or anything in-between. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, which means that my citizenship is in heaven and my allegiance is first and foremost to His Kingdom.

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
-- Phil. 3:18-20

Secondly, I am the son of a female preacher and a blue-collar factory worker who was the first black person in the history of my hometown to have a new home built. I am also the grand-nephew of an international music and cultural, who was all but kicked out of the U.S. during the Civil Rights Movement for being such an unconventional political voice during turbulent times…Dr. Nina Simone.

“And while you imitatin’ Al Capone…I be Nina Simone, defecatin’ on your microphone…”
--Lauryn Hill

As such, the ground-breaking waters of reformation and revolution constantly rip through my veins in waves that I have yet to fully comprehend. Through this lineage, I inherited a big mouth and strong vocal chords. But what once was a source of embarrassment in my days of unbridled youth, causing me to say the wrong things at times that I would regret; has now been harnessed into what I’ve come to accept as a mandate from God to be a voice. As such, I am forcefully compelled by the Spirit of the Lord to be a voice for truth, without compromise or apology during this critical hour of great spiritual turbulence, economic crisis, and decision.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."--Eph. 2:4-6

My position is as one who is seated with Christ in heavenly places. This means that while living as a stranger in the earth, I am daily striving to “be not conformed to this world”, but rather to “be transformed” by renewing my mind in the things of heaven. It is when I allow myself to meditate on that reality…that I am given ears to hear what God says, and eyes to see what God sees. From this perspective, meaning a Biblical one, I take my stand.What will follow in the coming posts, are spiritual truths that were not taught by a human wisdom, which are consequently incomprehensible by the unspiritual or unrenewed mind. Therefore I will speak authoritatively to the believer; that which I have seen and heard from God concerning our present times. I will expound upon the mysteries that have been brought to my understanding through a wisdom that comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Grace and Peace.

“ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.”--Revelation 2:29